Sweet Consequences
by Eveil Woman
Summary: Five years after Voldemort ordered Lucius to do the unthinkable to Ginny, Lucius find that yes even the darkest clouds have a silver linning. My frist story
1. Chapter 1

**Wish I owned the world of Potter but that won't happen in this life time **

**A/N I dont have a beta for this story at this time. If you have an intrest in being my beta let me know. But I saw another story that could have had the idea and want to get the main idea up quickly so no one would think I took someone eles idea.**

The Carrows had grabbed her after she and Neville caused another problem, taking her to their office. They then used the Floo network to take her to their master. "Master, here is what you requested."

"Ginevra Weasley, your family has caused me great difficulty. You will now pay for them." He hit her ,with the Cruciatus Curse. She fell to the ground withering in pain. It felt like every nerve in her body was on fire. She screamed in pain as Tom watched and laughed. Once the pain stopped he used Legillimens on her. "So you don't know where Potter is hiding." In that moment she was glad she had learned how to block her thoughts. She picked it up really easy. Her mother was relieved, because the new headmaster would without a doubt try to get information from her mind. He would see she knew nothing. Ginny had agreed to have some memories removed. Not just to protect herself, but Harry and the others as well. Now she could not give any information about Harry or the Order. She panted in pain. "I have a special plan for you. You will help me make one of my own pay for his failure. Lucius, you failed me. Your son could not do as he was ordered. So now you will make up for those failures and in doing so hurt Potter and the Order. Potter will seek revenge. He will then come to me. Lucius, you will take her. I want you to enjoy her." Ginny looked at Lucius _No please tell me he does not mean what I think he means. _She shuddered at the thought

"My Lord, I don't rape children." Lucius spoke in a slow even tone.

"Lucius. May I remind you that your family are; in my charge. And think how, Arthur will feel, to know that you were his daughter's first." Voldemort smiled. "Take her to the third bedroom and remember I will know if you deceive me. The consequence would be regrettable at best."

Lucius walked over and grabbed the youngest Weasley. He pulled her out of the room and down a long hall. As they reached the staircase he finally spoke. "I do not wish to do this. But I cannot let anything happen to my family." She looked at him and again shuddered.

"I won't let you do this to me." She tried to pull away from him. But his hold was too strong. He pushed her down the hall a little farther. Then he opened the door to a bedroom. Once inside he grabbed both her arms, so he was looking right into her eyes, his fingers dug into her soft skin.

"I don't want this any more than you do. I have no desire to have anyone in my bed who does not want to be there. He will kill my son and wife if I don't. I know you're still a child. I'm sorry." He could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I will be gentle so it does not hurt as much. Tell me quickly; have you had sex before?"

She swallowed hard fighting the tears she would not cry in front of him."No."

He closed his eyes and muttered something she could not make out. He lessened his hold on her. "We do not have much time. I will try to be fast about it, but if you try to relax it will be easier on you. That being said, I need you to scream. I'm sure that someone has followed us and will be listening." He released her, opened the door again, looked out and closed it. "If I had a wand I would just change your memories... But I do not." She looked in to his eyes and could see he was telling the truth.

When it was finished he rose from the bed saying to her. "I can't let you wash up but go into the bathroom. Vomit if you need to, wash your face, cry if you need. And get your clothing back on." She nodded. "I must stress do not bathe, as much as you must want to. He will need my scent to still be on you. I have to go back. I hope no one will disturb you." He walked to the door, then looked back at her again. "I am sorry." He hated Voldemort now more than ever. She was younger than his son. Lucius did not think he would ever forget the look on her face as he took her virginity. He was relieved that she did seem to listen to him. She was very verbal about it but did not put up much of a physical fight. Before he reached the stairs Lucius put his fist though the wall. He had never been so mad.

She entered the bathroom as her whole body shook as she relived it in her mind. Why did she cooperate? She realized that she could tell even though that man hated her family that he did not want to do that to her. She could see tears in his eyes as he entered her. And he kept whispering "I'm sorry". She did as he said: washing only her face, throwing up, and redressing. _What am I going to do? They could be sending someone else any second. And they won't be as kind. Did I just use kind in regards to a Malfoy? _She opened the door a little; the room was still clear. She ran to the door but it was locked. She tried to move the dresser in front of the door but it would not move. There was nothing else in the room big enough to block the door. She went back to the bathroom as there was a lock on the door there. She locked herself in.

_Tomorrow morning Professor McGonagall will see I'm missing and let the Order know. But will they send anyone? Maybe they removed my memories to protect themselves. I was a sitting duck at Hogwarts. If they did not have to worry about anything I might tell, then why rescue me? _She began to sob as she slid down the door to her knees.

A short time later she heard the outer door open. Her whole body stiffened. "Miss Weasley.? " It was Lucius again. She then heard a soft knock on the door. " Miss Weasley, I need to take you back. Please open the door."

She slowly stood up. _What will they do to me now_? She opened the door. Looking at the floor, she did not want to look into his eyes. "Come on now." As they walked, he continued, "I don't know what else he has planned for you. I'm no longer in his inner circle. If he uses the Cruciatus curse, the more you fight against it, the worse it is." He grabbed her arm again as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and led her into the room she arrived in earlier. She did not look at it before but now she saw how dark it was. However there was one exception; Snape was there. For half a second he looked surprised to see her.

Voldemort looked at her and then walked up to her, grabbing her chin in his cold gray hand "Did you have fun?"He laughed along with others in the room. Ginny fought the urge to spit in his face; her tongue however had a mind its own.

"Is this the only way you can feel? To make others hurt? Is that how you feel alive?" She was hit with the Cruciatus curse again, this time she did not fight it.

"Snape, you will take her back to Hogwarts. So she can cry to her blood traitor family."

Snape grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up and then entering the fireplace. The next second they were in the headmaster's office. She would not cry in front of him. Dumbledore sat in his portrait behind Snape's desk. He let out a gasp at the sight of her. "Ginevra, what are you doing here?" She looked over her shoulder at Snape.

Snape spoke "He was using her to hurt her family and the Order." Snape said. He still did not know what had happened. "What happened over there?" he asked.

"Like I'd tell you." She was mad; how dare he ask her.

"Miss Weasley, you will answer you headmaster." the portrait said.

"No he's a traitor and a murderer."

"Miss Weasley, you will find that things are not always as they seem. I know what Snape has done. I see no reason not to trust him." Ginny's eyes widened as her mind began to race. "What I'm about to tell you must promise never no matter what to reveal unless a favourable end comes and Harry's opinion of Professor Snape is still the same."

"I promise."

"I asked Snape to help me to the end of my life on this plain. I was dying already. It was not murder, it was a friend helping a friend."

"What are you doing?"

"Severus, if Voldemort thought she could be of any help to his cause he would have kept her there. And someone has to know the truth in the event things do not go as planned. Ginny, please tell us what happened."

She told them about the Carrows taking her and what all happened. Snape looked ready to kill commenting "That bastard."

"No, I could tell that Luc- Mr.Malfoy did not want to. He was – quite kind about it. He did not want to. Voldemort threatened his family. He said it would be a blow to Harry and the others."

"Severus, go get Minerva." The portrait waited until the door closed behind Snape "Ginny, I know I can trust you not to tell anyone what you heard in this room tonight. Only the three of us know now. And Ginny you can trust Snape will do everything in his power as headmaster to see that the students are as unharmed as possible. Have you always noticed that he is not as hard on you as the other Gryffindors? That's because you remind him too much of her." They heard Snape with McGonagall on the stairs.

McGonagall entered the Headmasters office to see Ginny sitting in the chair. Later after the left the headmaster office, the woman looked ready to kill as Ginny told her story "I will inform your parents."

"NO." The older woman looked at her." I'm seventeen now. You can't without my say. And why? I mean it would only hurt them and then Voldemort gets what he wants. No."

"Ginny this is a terrible thing that happened to you. You will need help to get past this."

One month after the final battle, Ginny came down the stairs of the Burrow. Her mother was in the kitchen." Good morning Mum. Has- has everyone else left for the day?" she asked as she looked around the room.

"Morning dear. Yes Harry and Ron left a few minutes ago, why dear? You must be hungry."

Ginny's stomach did a flop." No Mum I'm not hungry. "She paused. "Mum if I tell you something will you promise not to overreact?" Ginny decided to tell her mother first.

Molly felt something big coming. "Of course sweetheart." She sat at the table looking at her daughter.

Ginny sat across from her mother. "Mum, I'm pregnant." She felt starting with the news of a baby would soften the rest of the news.

Molly looked somewhat happy, "Oh Ginny, I'm sure that Harry will..."

"Harry's not the father. Something happened a few weeks before the final battle." Molly's face grew gray."Mum I was taken by the Carrows to where Voldemort was." Molly gasped, "No thank god it's not his. But he ordered someone else to. He would have killed their family. Mum I heard from Luna what happened to her, I was lucky. This man did not want to do it. He knew that someone would be listening at the door. He was gentle and as weird as it sounds, kind about it. I don't have any real bad feeling towards him. I could see it in his eyes that he did not want to do it. But Voldemort would have known if he did not." Molly was crying now. "Mum it gets worse; it was Lucius Malfoy."

Molly sat quite still trying to decide how to react as she played with the hand towel. Finally looking at her daughter, she spoke. "What would- do you want to do about the baby?"

"I want to keep it. I know I'm young but I spoke to Professor McGonagall. She said that I could do most of the year from home, only having to go to the school for tests and such. So I could finish."

Molly was hurt." You spoke to her before me?"

"Mum only she and Professor Snape knew and they could not tell you without me allowing them to. I made them promise, it would have only hurt you and dad, mostly dad, and that was what Tom wanted. I was not going to have anyone hurt or killed because of me. And with dad's feeling about Malfoy well you know. Mum how am I going to tell him? "

Molly laughed "I'll put him in a body bind curse before you tell him which we won't remove until he calms down."

Arthur remained in the Curse for twelve hours before he calmed down. As much as he hated Malfoy he believed his daughter would need her father for support. And he could not do that if he was in Azkaban for Lucius' murder.

Chapter 1

Ginny was leaving the joke shop where she took care of the business end of things for George, most of which she could do from home. Fred had told George that if anything happened to him that Ginny should have his share of the business. Both twins always had a soft spot for her. Maybe because she was the only girl, but she was their favourite sibling. She had her daughter with her. "Mummy I forgot my doll in the shop."

"Kyra, go get it. I'll wait for you." They were only a few feet from the shop. As her child disappeared into the shop. Ginny looked at the display in the window of the next shop.

"Miss Weasley?"

Ginny turned around to see Lucius standing behind her. He had spent five years in Azkaban for the crimes he did commit but because he did not fight in the final battle and gave alot of evidence against others, his sentence was light. He was released a few weeks ago. "Mr. Malfoy, hello. I heard about your wife. I'm sorry." Ginny knew he had a right to know about Kyra. Kyra had more of a right.

"I thank you. I have spent the last few years wondering why you never pressed charges," he said.

She looked at him. "As I recall, neither of us had much say in the matter—"

"Mummy, mummy look at what Uncle George gave me!" she was holding a trick cauldron.

Ginny smile at her "Of course he did dear. I want you to me someone."

Lucius looked at the small child head. She had strawberry red hair Weasley did reproduce quickly. Than the child looked at him. Her eyes, were same he every day when he looked in the mirror. This was his daughter.

"Kyra Marina this is Mr. Lucius Malfoy. Lucius this is Kyra." Ginny never planned on hiding her from him.

The girl offered her hand as she looked the man up and down, trying to decide if she liked him. Final speaking "Hello." She turned her head a little if she was older one would say she was flirting.

Lucius looked at Ginny than at the child; he crouched down so that he did not look quite so intimidating to her. "Hello, Kyra. You're very pretty." She smiled at him. He rose again looking at her mother. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but we need to talk."

"Yes we do but right now is not the time or the place. I free most of the time let me know went and I will make sure that I'm available."

He looks at Kyra as Ginny spoke, "The sooner the better, tonight around seven." She gave him her address and left.

At six forty five Ginny returned to her small house after leaving Kyra at Shell cottage. Bill and Fleur were babysitting over night. She picked up the last of Kyra's toys and put a pot of tea on. And then tried to relax. She bought the cottage last year she received a good amount of money from the shop and with living with her parents she was able to save for the house, which she was quite proud.

At seven on the dot there was a knock on the door. Her stomach flipped a little. She took a deep breath. Then went to answer the door. She put a smile on her face. "Hello." She paused. "I'm not sure what to call you."

Lucius looked at her. She was older than when he last saw her, but still so young. "I guess Lucius would be apropperate."

"Lucius please come in." She welcomed him in to her home. He looked around his surroundings. Well it small it was in good repair, and clean. As he took his seat, she sat as well.

"I assume that Kyra is our daughter." He chose the word our carefully. He knew all to well of the Weasley temper. Much to his surprise he was please to find out he had another child. Even if she was part Weasley, At least she was still pure blood, even if her mother was from a family of blood traidors.

She looked him in the eye,"Yes, I never planned on not telling you. However I was informed that a trip to Azkaban would not be good for me or her when I pregnant and after I – well I didn't think there was any use telling you well you were their."

"Why did you keep her?"

"I could never kill my own child. Or give her away." She was not backing down, showing no sign of fear much like that night.

"I would think she would be a reminder of an event you would rather forget."

"Forget I've hear that more time than I can count over the past five years. Men have a different way of looking at things. Yes I would have preferred my first time to be different, but rather than focusing on that I made the choice to look at the fact that I saw you change that night. You could have been cruel that night but you were kind to me. And after I heard what some of the other Death eaters did to a few girls I know. I was lucky. I know everyone including you think I should hate you but I don't part of that is because you gave me Kyra. I love her how I could do that if I hated you. I would hate part of her."

"You surprise my Ginevra. I would like to be a part of her life. Is that a problem?"

"I'm – I have never lied about who her father was to anyone I care about." He pulled out some papers and handed then to her.

"I had these drawn up this afternoon. Is a trust fund for her?"

She glanced at it not read the amount, then handed it back. "You didn't have to do that." She smiled. "What type of role do you want in her life?"

He looked at her trying to decide what he thought she would have done. "I'm her father; I want to be one to her."

"Lucius, I know little about you. I'm not saying no but would you mind giving me a couple of days."

The next day Ginny stormed throw the duggenes of Hogwarts looking for the man she share an odd friend ship with.

**Flashback**

After the battle Ginny released something "stopper death" something Snape said at the beginning of her first year. Where did Harry go? She looked around, he was gone. Then she saw The Malfoy family, sitting together. Lucius was still a death eater maybe he'll know. She got up and walked over to the family, "Mr Malfoy do you know where Snape is?"

He looked at her not understanding, "You heard Potter he's dead."

"But where, where is he?"

Lucius continue to look at her," The last time I saw him he was going to the Shrieking Shack." She turned on her heel and bolt out of the great hall out the main door and the stairs towards the wamping willow. Her died brother told her about the passage. As her reached the Shack she slowed listening she heard nothing as she enter the room she saw Snape laying on the floor. He looked dead she ran up to him and fell to her knees. Placing her ear to his chest and listened his hart gave a fait thump.

"Severs, Please don't died. Come on I have to get you back to the school."

She barely heard him "Lily"

She final realized, that it was Harry mother she reminded him of. Ginny levitated him and got him back to Hogwarts. Madame Pomfre was able to save him.

**End**

She walked in to his class room, which held no students. "Severus, were are you?"

He came out of the store room."Ginny, what are you doing here."

"I need answers that I know that you can give me." He waited as he walked to the front of his desk leaning against it."Lucius, he – I need to know besides the stuff that he was charged with what else did he did?" Ginny perched herself on the table directly in front him.

She was the same age as Lily when she was killed "Ginny Voldemort did not always, have all of us there I can only tell you what I know. Which is not much. Most of it you already know. But when one first becomes a Death eater there are thing that you have to do to prove your loyalty. Lucius would not have been any different. Why?"

"He wants to be a father to Kyra."

"Ginny, Death Eater are not nice people, we all did triebble things Lucius included, but you said your self that he was as kind as was possible to you. There are many shades of gray. That being said Lucius was hard on Draco but he love Draco more than anything. I think he would never let anything happen to her. I would say relax. Aloud him."

She smiled at Snape, "Thanks I don't know what I would do with out you." She slide down. As put her hand on his cheek. "I'm very proud to call you a friend." She heard students coming down the hall "Don't take to many point from Gryffindor." She said as she left.

Ginny arrived back at her place. She floo'd Lucius and asked him to come by. He was at her door an hour later. "Thanks for coming." They were sitting at the table. "We need to lay down some ground rules. If you want to be a part of Kyra life. We you and I are from to have very different worlds, and our daughter is a producted of both. To a four year old your world will seem like a fairy tail. I'm not saying that she has ever done with out but I know her. She will manipulate to get what she wants, I have tried to keep her down to earth. Life isn't always prefect we don't always get what we want. I will not let you walk in here and set her down a different path I need you to respect my wish and limits with her."

Lucius looked at her wonder in amazement. _How could she be so calm I've done things that have made_ _her life hell_? "That would seem fair."

She eyed him. "Number one, if you're going to be a part of her live than it's not just for a day or a week is for life." He nodded, "I'm sure that at some point you will be in the same place as my father, you must be civil."

"I'm sure you father has never said anything against he in front of her." Lucius sneered.

"Dad and the rest of my family, respect the fact that she is a Malfoy, they have all kept their personal opinions to themselves. Because they knew at so point she would know who you were and she needed to form her own opinion of you." He looked surprised. "I don't want to here any of the stuff about pure bloods being better than others. Kyra has family who are not all pure blood and she does not need to be confused."

"I understand. Is there anything else?"

"I can add or change the rules at any time."

He laugh at this. "I assumed that, that went without saying. You are a woman." She laugh George said that all the time. "It must have been hard for you."

"It was but there is the old saying what ever doesn't kill only makes you stronger. There's one more thing." She looked straight into his eyes. "Why did you give me Tom's dairy?"

He knew this would come up. "It was not about you or the matter of who your family was, at the time I truly believe Voldemort way was the only away. It was more getting the dairy into Hogwarts. It was a crime of oppertoonaty."

"I can accept that."

"Tell me about Kyra?" He hoped she would be here but knew he would have to do thing at her speed.

She smiled at him, "She has wrap everyone around her finger. She know what she want and will stop at nothing to get it. I think she will end up in Slytherin. When the time comes. Most of the family agrees with me George says, it would not be that bad. The hat wanted to put both him and Fred there. George is her favourite uncle they think along the same lines. Would you mind if we let her get to know you a little before we tell her that you're her father."

"She has not asked about me?"

"No but I think that she does not realise everyone has a dad." He looked at her, not understanding. "She spend allot of time with Teddy Lupin, so I don't think she has realized that she missing anything, yet." He nodded. "This is very weird for both of us I know, but I think we need to be open and honest with each other. Kyra is smart and will pick up on any tension between us." He looked at her, he knew men twice as old as her who could hardly speak, because for their fear of him. Here she was laiding things on the table. Like it was nothing.

"You were at the ministry with Potter weren't you?" He was not totally sure.

"Yes."

"You cast some very strong Cruses that night. I think that Kyra will become a powerful witch. I never would expected you to be at the time."

"I not sure if that was a complement. Oh one other thing, Please don't make the mistake of giving her something the first time you meet her. I don't what her to come to—" she looked for the right words." Let me rephrase that. If you give or by her something she will expect it all the time."

Lucius smiled. "That would be the Malfoy in her."

"I thought that kind of thing was a learnt behavior. There's allot of Malfoy in her. You will soon see that. When do you want to see her?"

"If it alright with you the two of you could come to the manor tomorrow for lunch."

Ginny thought of what she had heard of the manor. And see knew her child, "If it okay with you I would rather not have her see the manor until after she has bonded with you."

He laughed at this. Ginny notice how nice he looked when he smiled. "She is a Malfoy and you think seeing the manor might cause her to," he now searched for the right word, "take more of a liking to me faster."

The next day Ginny and Kyra were playing outside, when Lucius arrived. He watched as Ginny and Kyra were played some type of tag. Ginny was playing at the child level. He watched as Ginny caught Kyra pulling her down to the ground and tickling her. Kyra laugh was high pitched. Narcissa never did that with Draco. "Mummy that mans here." His daughter voice broke his thoughts.

Ginny looked behind her _Shit I must have lost track of time. _She had planed on changing Kyra in to some of her better clothing. She could just imagine what he was thinking. Kyra was wearing jeans and a tee shirt and runners. "Lucius, um – Hi, would you like to come in?" She said as she got up off the ground. As they walked up the house, Ginny brushed her self off. Once they enter Ginny told Kyra to go and wash up for tea. The little girl obeyed her mother. Ginny explain she lost track of time.

While she made tea Lucius finally asked; "Ginevra, you don't seem to work, what are you doing for money?" She strunlly at him. "You have a nice home, I was just wondering."

She smiled releasing it was a fair question, "I work from home most of the time for George for the joke shop. I earn a fair amount. And I can stay home with Kyra. I didn't want someone else spending that much time with her. When is time I think I'm going to have a hard time sending her to Hogwarts. Where did that child get to? Pardon me." She left the room. Lucius could hear Ginny talking to the girl. "So this is what you're up to." A couple second later, the two reappeared the young had changed into a light blue dress. "Kyra you remember Lucius Malfoy."

Lucius watched as his daughter eyed him up and down. If she was older he would have thought she was calculating the total value of his clothing. "Hello sir."

He realized he had no idea how to deal with a little girl. "Hello again, Kyra." He looked up at Ginny. Hoping she could help him.

"Well teas ready. How about we all sit down?" Kyra lead them in to the living room. As Lucius took the tray for Ginny. He said "I don't have a clue what I'm doing."

Ginny gave him a warm reassuring smile," Just follow her lead and relax, after everything you've done don't tell me your scared of a four year old girl." _Did I just tease him?_

He spent three hours there, getting to know Kyra. Once Ginny felt he had relaxed she had gone in to her office, to give him time with her alone._ Had someone told be a few years back I would leave Lucius alone with my child I would have had them locked up. But his being really easy going about this. Should I be worried .No I don't think so. Taking her away would hurt her as much as me. He aloud his child to be hurt. She's fine. _She heard a tap on the open door looking up from the books to see him standing there. He was holding the sleeping child in his arms.

"She fell asleep, well listening to a story."

Ginny looked at the clock, it was a little early for bed, but she had a long day."Oh well lets get her to bed." She said as she got up leading him to Kyra room. The room done all in purple and blue with a few pink accents. The cupboard door was open reviling that the child was a clothing horse; the bed was a canopy bed. There was a toy chest at the foot of the bed. Lucius laid her on the bed. Ginny used her wand to change her in to a night grown. Lucius pull the cover over her. Placing a kiss on her forehead. He and Ginny left the room. "So what do you think of your daughter?" She asked.

"I think you have done an amazing job with her. And I can see The Malfoy in her. "He looked into warm eyes. He shook his head.

"What?" Ginny asked. They were standing in the hall, face to face with only the light from the office.

"I have a daughter with a woman I've never even kissed. It's odd. And to think that Arthur Weasley is her grandfather makes it more unbieveable."

Ginny felt a little uncomfortable." Someone once told me that sometimes the darkest moment produce the brightest light. Do you now understand why I can't hate you?"

"Thank you for this gift, Ginevra. But I should be leaving." He had the great desire to kiss her. And he did not want to do anything to jeopardised things with Kyra, by scaring Ginny off. She nodded and walked him to the door. "I would like to help finically."

Ginny shook her head, "No were just fine. I don't need anything."

"There must be something I can do?"

"Please, Lucius just be a good father to her. I know your past, but I also know that you did what you had to protect Draco. Promise me that you will care for her the same way. And don't make me regret letting you into her life."

He looked her in the eyes, "I won't. I promise you that with out question."

"So how did it go?"

Ginny looked at her old potions Master." It was odd. After Kyra fell a sleep, I would almost use the word inmate. For a second I thought he was going to kiss me." Kyra was a sleep and Snape was over. After she saved him they became incredible close. He enjoyed having a friend like this. She could pour her heart and soul to him. And he found it almost too easy to be around her. He aloud her to say thing no one else dare. She challenged him to be better. They both could tease the other. He knew that Lily would always be the only love of his life. But now five years later he knew he loved Ginny but differently. It was pure and honest. It was not romantic at all. He thought that maybe it was the fact that they share a similar experience. Hurting friends; he him causing Lily's death, her causing friends to be petrified, for Voldemort and almost dying at his hand.

"What would you have done if he had?"

She was sitting on the sofa her leg curled under her facing him. The room was lit only by the fire. "I don't know. I can't even begin to guess. I mean the whole world; present company exclude, thinks I crazy for not hating him. I don't know. Maybe I am, what do you think?"

He stared at her for a minute. "I think we both know how bad things could have been. I saw what happen," She aloud him to use Legmencey on her shortly before telling her family what happened. "that's why I don't think your crazy. I do think you have a great gift of empathy."

"Thank you."

"And if were both wrong about him I will personally Avada Kedavra. What kind of god father would I be if I let anyone hurt either one of my favourite girls? On that note I have to get back. I swear the kids become denser each year." She walked him to the door. "Thank you for supper. It was great as always. Good night Luv." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Over the next few weeks Lucius spent allot of time with Kyra. Ginny was always near by, but always gave them the space they needed to work on the bond that need to form between them. Lucius was amazed by the Kyra daily. She was smart for her age, she was detremind, she did not back down, even when she should. But she was sweet, had good scents of humor, and was charming. Lucius found him self pitting her future husband. Not that he wanted to think about her being old enough to marry. Final the day came when Ginny felt it was time to tell Kyra who Lucius real was. He had stay to put Kyra to bed that night, "Lucius I think its time we told her." as he was about to leave. He looked down at Ginny; she only came up to his chin.

"She will have questions, perhaps you and I could talk about this first."

"Sure, I'll see if Mum can watch her tomorrow. Say around seven you could come by."

He looked at her for a moment. "Get some one to watch her but, Why don't I take you to dinner. Some place where there's no children's menu."

"Lucius, you don't have to do that."

"You are correct I don't, but I want too." He could see her hesitation. "Ginny you have given me a child and I have never even taken you to dinner. Please alone me this."

She shook her head as she said "Fine."

He looked at her "What are you thinking?"

She looked up at him seeming a little nervous. "you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Don't take this the wrong way. But do the other death eaters know that you're this nice?"

"If you tell only one I can't be held accountable for my actions" He laughed.

Lucius picked Ginny put at seven. He had made reservations at an upscale restaurant on daigon alley. When Ginny answered the door Lucius was pleased with how she looked in the non mummy wear. She wore a dress that was cream with a black over laid it had thin little stapes over her shoulders. Her hair was done so that it felt in soft curls. And her makeup was flawless. If he had not known she was a woman he knew now.

By the time dinner came they had decided what to tell Kyra. Once she was older they would tell her the whole story. Once she goes to school some of the other children could have an idea what really happened. "Ginevra, may I ask you something very personal?" Lucius asked.

She looked unsure for a minute then realized that she might seem childish. "You can ask but I can say I will answer."

He smiled she was smart hear the question before you say you will answer. "Fair enough. Not take this the wrong way but I was surprised that you were still pure."

"Yes, well um." She realized she was being silly, "think back to when you were young. So you fifth teen or sixteen and your girl friend has six brothers. Now let look at those brothers Ones a curse breaker who was attacked by a werewolf. One works with dragons, Percy well he's Percy , then there's was the twins owners of a joke shop, with quite the reputation for getting even in a big way. And the last well he's Harry Potters best friend. And then Harry himself an honorary Weasley. Would you- no the average boy try anything more than kissing?"

He rose an eyebrow "You did not try dating any Slytreins did you."

She faked shock, "That would go against the Gryffindor code of behavior."

"This is any odd dinner conversation isn't it?" He realizes she was innocent.

"We don't exactly have a conventional relaisionship, do we?"

"I have not asked for weeks but please let be about how your father reacted to the news."

She looked up at him, "You are evil." She looked down the family could laugh about it now. "Okay but if you ever tell him I told you will wish for death. I told mum first I need a test run on what I was going to say. After I told her she helped with dad he was in a body bind for over twelve hour but I started telling him that I was Pregnant than that I let him to think that it was Voldemort, so in the end you didn't seem as bad as it could have been. In comparison who would you want as the father of your grandchild?"

"Why did you keep her?"

"I could not kill her. And I knew you weren't all bad. After that night and after the final battle, I hear what some other prisoner when throw. I know what could have been. And if I gave her away, well we both know they can tell who the parents are, I did not want so one to get revenge of something the Death Eaters did to some one else. Plus the fact that in real upset Ron did not hurt." She laughs at the end.

He gazed at her. She clearly had more brains than most girls of her age. He thought of some of the girls he had seen Draco with and was thankful. "You don't get along with Ron very well do you?"

She smile thoughtfully," Were closest in age, I guess he always saw me as the tag along. And I felt his resentment. I guess it normal."She paused. "It's my turn, do you still – "

He knew what she was going to ask."You want to know if I still share Voldemort believes." She nodded "Yea and no. What you have to understand is that pure blood must do everything possible to keep our number greater than the Muggle born. Meaning we should also not dilute our lines. That may seem harsh by if we don't there will come a time when Muggle born will be the only magical persons. If you look over the years the number of squibs rises at an alarming rate. And if you take a look back the high majority if you follow their family tree make there is a muggle or muggle born directly related. That having been said now think of the witch hunts. Inncent people were curel killed because Muggles are scared of what they don't understand. So Muggle and non mugglewere killed. Now some of the non muggle didn't not have to, and if they had been trained in magic they would have never been knowen. And souls would have been saved. So yes Pure Blood should try to remain pure and no I don't think we should go around killing someone because, of whom their parents were. Does that answer you question?"

"I never looked at it that way. But we both know the number of pure bloods is rapidly declining." She replied. "So how do we stop that?"

"That is the questions. But I would like to go back to you. Did you finish your seventh year?"

"Yes But I did it from home mostly only going to Hogwarts for tested and such. I work with George at the shop too. I wanted to be able to say that I took care of all of Kyra's needs."

"You truly lost your childhood that night. I'm sorry. "

"I understand why you say that but I'm not Look at her. My god before it happen I would thought some one was crazy if they told me that the greatest love of my life would be a Malfoy. But I would give anything for her."

"Draco said something about you having dated Harry Potter He would have thought that you would have married him."

Ginny played with a couple of green beans well her constered he answers. "He offered after I told ever one. But I – Well after the battle I found out that I reminded a few to many people of his mother. I found it a little too creepy. "

Lucius thought for a moment. Ginny could tell he was looking back in to the pasted. "I can see it now. But if you think about it, it's little wonder he has a mummy thing going." He paused, "Ginevra I want Kyra to have my name."

"I'm fine with that. I was wondering, have you told Draco about Kyra."

"Yes he wants to meet her. I was waiting until we told her."

They decided to meet the next afternoon to tell Kyra. Kyra had spent the night at the borrow. Ginny went over the next morning to pick her up. Ginny arrived at the borrow by Floo. The kitchen looked just as it did when Ginny was four. She breathed in the smell of home. A mixture of the fire, floo powder, her mothers cooking. She walked over to the cookie jar and grabbed a home made cookie. As she bit in to it she knew no matter where she goes in the world or how old she gets this place would always be home. In that second she also saw many memoires things from her own child hood all the way to seeing Kyra take her first steps across this room.

Her mother came in from the yard "Hello dear."

"Morning Mum. How did it go last night?"Ginny asked.

"Oh, Good ,Harry and Teddy spent the night here and Fleur dropped Vicky off an hour a go. There all playing outside. What about you?"

Ginny sat down at the table, "Good it was nice to not have to cut some ones else meat."

Molly smiled in understanding, " He didn't try any thing than?"

"Mum, it wasn't a date. And Merlin he's old enough to be my father. And for the record my ironing board has tried more."

Molly laughed. "Do you want him to?"

Harry came in from the garden. "Lu Gin." Placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Morning Harry."

"Ginny I swear if I hear Lucius this or Lucius that one more time."

"You won't after today. It will be daddy this and daddy that." Harry groaned. "Now you'll was be special to her."

"Gin com on let just run away and get married."

"OH Harry I already told you I love you to much to complicate things with sex. Beside what would Luna say?"

"Mummy mummy Uncle Harry took me flying." Kyra ran to her mum and gave her a hugh hug.

"That's good dear by we have to get back home Lucius is coming for tea."

"Lucius.yah. I get my dolly." Harry rolled his eyes.

Lucius arrived on time. He seemed like a small child him self. As Ginny took his cloak he whispered to her "I got her a gift. I hope you don't mind."

Ginny smiled, he had obeyed the rules and as a father he showed real control. "I think that fitting. Let's tell her." He grabbed Ginny's hand and let her to the living room where Kyra was playing.

Kyra looked up and saw Lucius. As she got up and ran over to him she said "Lucius. I'm so glad you're here." she gave him a big hug.

"Kyra, Lucius and I have something to tell you."Ginny sat on one end of the sofa and Lucius on the other with the small girl on his lap.

"What?"

Ginny begin, "Well honey, you know how Victiorie has a Mummy and a Daddy. And how Teddy's Mum and daddy are gone to heaven, well sweetheart Lucius is your daddy."

The child looked at Lucius than back at her mother, "No."

Ginny's eyes grew big, "Sweet hart, that's not nice."

"He can't be my daddy." She was no off Lucius lap. "Cause Daddy's live with mummies like Uncle Bill and Auntie Fleur and Uncle Harry is just Teddy's pretend daddy and he lives with Teddy." Ginny look at Lucius with remorse in her eyes.

"Kyra, there are many different families. But I am your father and where I live has nothing to do with how I feel about you."

"So you can be a Daddy and have your own house?"

"Yes. Now I have a gift for you, for both of you." He reached in to his pocket and pulled out to matching black velvet boxes. He handed one to Kyra and the other to Ginny.

As Ginny took the box from him, and their eye meet hers saying 'you didn't have to.' His said 'Yes I did.'. Kyra opened hers with a squell follow "Oh Luc- I mean Daddy is pretty, will you help me." She was jumping up and down, something she did quite often.

As Lucius took the silver locket out of the box he turned it over, "Kyra see here it says 'Love Daddy No matter what comes' Always remember that." Ginny watch the exchange as she rertended to look at her. Once she actually looked at hers it was the same as Kyra only in gold "Yours is inscribed too." She turn it over to read." There is no way to express my thanks."

Kyra said as she begain to ran to her room" I want to see how it looks on me."

"I got you gold because it reminder me of your Gryffindor bravery. Another think I'm thank fully for. And well were on the topic of thanks I also wanted to thank you for not informing me well I was in Azkbane." She looked confused" Knowing what I was missing would have just made my time there that much harder. Here let me help you with yours too." Took it out of the box was she turned her back to him and lifted her hair. He dropped the locket over her head and as he fasned it found himself wanting to kiss her neck.

"Thank you Lucius."


	2. A Day At Malfoy Manor

**A/N Just a few of things to keep in mind as read this chapter**

**One - Lucius** **is a convicted Death Eater.**

**Two - I don't think any court would just give him visitation rights in view of his opinion of the Weasleys which was made clear in the past. So it's important to stay on Ginny's good side. This fact will apply to Draco as well. **

**Three - Kyra is still a pure blood even if her mother comes from a family of blood traitors.**

**Four – Lucius is not a saint. I never said he was. But as we saw in DH family does mean everything to him. And we will see some of bad Lucius in the future. **

On Saturday morning Ginny got herself and Kyra ready to go to Malfoy manor for lunch. She was nervous as she had not seen Draco since the final battle, and she knew he must have matured or at least she hoped he had. She decided that if he did not start calling Ron a weasel or Harry scar head in front of Kyra that that would be good.

Ginny dressed herself in pale blue robes; the colour made her hair look even better than normal. Her hair fell in soft waves down her back; she wore a little make up. Kyra was very happy to wear some of her best robes; they were the prefect shade of blue as well. The child loved to look good. Ginny had put Kyra's hair into a French braid.

Kyra was bouncing up and down with excitement about seeing her father's house. Ginny was worrying that if she bounces like that at the manor she might break something expensive. Lucius was due to arrive to take them over any minute. Ginny decided that maybe if Lucius said something to Kyra about the bouncing it might help more than her repeated pleas for Kyra to not jump. Anything was worth a try at this point. The wards around the house went off announcing Lucius' arrival. That also started a new round of Kyra bouncing. "Kyra, remember when we're there don't touch anything without being told you can. Just like in grandpa's shed."

"I know Mummy, but Daddy's here!" She started jumping all over again. Ginny rolled her eyes and went to greet Lucius at the door.

"Hello. Lucius." She smiled warmly at him as she opened the door.

"Hello Ginevra, Kyra." The little girl threw herself into his arms.

"Daddy we're going to see your house today and have lunch there and I can't wait! Can we go now?" Kyra said without taking a breath.

Lucius looked at Ginny who smiled at him "She has been like this since eight a.m."

Lucius smiled. "Well don't you look lovely today Kyra. I see you're ready as well."

They Apparated to Malfoy manor. It was just as big as Ginny had heard. The grounds were beautiful and the manor was in prefect condition. "It's beautiful, Lucius."

He nodded "Thank you. Some of it is over one thousand years old." As they walked to the front door, the doors opened automatically. Kyra entered first and let out a scream. Ginny and Lucius were right behind her. Ginny saw the house elf that caused the scream and smiled as she dropped to her knees.

"Kyra, honey its okay. This is a house elf." She looked to Lucius for its name.

"Sully." Lucius supplied.

"Yes Sully, helps take care of your daddy's house. It's okay to say hello." The house elf looked at the child with affection.

"Sully? Hello."

"Miss Kyra. Sully is most happy to serve you." Ginny rose and Lucius took her cloak. She smiled at him again. "Lunch will be ready at one." Then the house elf disappeared.

As Lucius led them to a parlour, Kyra was looking at everything. Lucius looked at Ginny; he could tell she was nervous. He stopped and turned towards her."Would you tell me what's wrong?"

She looked at him biting her lip, "You don't know what he was like to go to school with."

Lucius sighed ."Ginevra, no one is perfect. He has matured."

"I guess I know. I am sorry. Let's do this." She smiled. They entered the parlour. It had hardwood floors that shone wonderfully and stone walls. The room must have been decorated by Narcissa; there was a sofa with a sofa table behind it, two wing chairs and a couple of end tables and a coffee table. Draco, who had been sitting in one of the wing chairs, rose to greet them.

"Weaslette," he said teasingly as he strode across the room. Then taking Ginny's hand , he kissed it. "It's been a long time. Father."

Ginny had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing; if he could play so would she. She however would pick her time. "Draco." She smiled.

Lucius picked Kyra up. "Princess, I want you to meet Draco. He's my son. Draco, this is Kyra."

Draco looked at her and smiled, "Well you are just as pretty as father said. Why don't you come and sit on the sofa with me and tell me about yourself?" Kyra almost jumped out of Lucius' arms to go with Draco, leaving Ginny and Lucius near the door.

"Did you let him know that she is her favourite subject?" Ginny asked.

Lucius, who had turned towards Ginny, just put his finger to his lips and arched his one eyebrow toward the sofa, saying without words let's just watch. His son and his daughter were bonding. Ginny thought about the fact that at one time this would have been her worst nightmare and laughed to herself.

After lunch Draco took a small box out of his pocket and gave it to Kyra. Ginny looked at Lucius. Kyra was already excited. "I forgot to tell him. I'm sorry." Lucius apologized

Kyra opened the box to find a silver bracelet." Oh thank you Draco! Mummy, Daddy, look!"

Ginny had to admit it was stunning.

Lucius convinced Ginny to stay for dinner as well. After lunch he showed them around the grounds. Kyra loved seeing the different animals. But her favourite was the horses. "Mummy please, please. Can I ride one?"

"Not today sweetheart, you're in your good clothes."

"But Mummy please! They're so pretty. I'll be very careful. Please mummy! I'm begging."

Lucius bent down to look Kyra straight in the eye, "Kyra. A Malfoy never begs. If your mother said not today, then you must wait until next time."

Kyra looked at her father with tears in her eyes. "But Daddy I've never been on a pony before, I just want to ride one before Vicky gets to." One tear slid down her cheek.

"Next time you're here I promise. In fact if it's okay with your mother I will get you some riding robes."

Tears were gone at once and Kyra was smiling. Ginny laughed; her four year old just manipulated Lucius Malfoy and he did not even notice.

At dinner Kyra questioned Draco endlessly, he answered any questions she had. Ginny was shocked to see how patient he was with Kyra, "Do you like Quidditch?" she asked her big brother.

"Yes. I played alot of it in school."

She thought while chewing her food. "Did you like Uncle Harry as your Captain then?" The look on Draco's face was priceless; Ginny could not contain her laughter. Lucius almost choked.

"He was not my Captain. We were in different houses and different teams."

"But you must have been friends with my uncles." It was beyond the child's reach that anyone could not like her uncles.

Ginny was the first to think of something to say. "Kyra, Draco and your uncles did not get along very well."

"Why?"

Both men did not know how Ginny wanted to handle this so they kept quiet. "Why? Um- well I was not around when they first met. But I think that both Draco and your Uncles – well they did not see things the same way. And we both know how weird boys are." Kyra giggled at this. "So rather than talk about the problems, they instead decided to tease each other. Hurting feelings over and over again and no one would say sorry. Like I always say if you hurt someone's feelings you have to say sorry right away because the longer you leave it the harder it is to forgive." Ginny knew she could not paint anyone as the bad guy here. Even if she wanted to.

By the time they had dessert everyone could tell Kyra was getting tired. Lucius insisted on taking Ginny and Kyra home. And Kyra wanted her Daddy to put her to bed because his stories were different and newer than Ginny's. Lucius walked with Kyra explaining who some of the people in the portraits were. Draco offered Ginny his arm and walked with her. "She's really amazing Ginny. Dare I say maybe the best of both families."

Ginny was fighting to not tear up. So she had to make a joke. "Did you just say something nice about the Weasleys?"

He smiled at her. "I guess I might have. But I'll never again admit to it. So repeat it to no one."

She laughed, "Who knew that Draco Malfoy could be charming."

When they reached the main entrance Draco helped Kyra with her cloak "Next time you come and see me I will take you flying, okay?" Kyra smiled and nodded then yawned. "Good night Ginny."He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again."

Lucius watched this and found it left a bad taste in his mouth. He picked Kyra up, "Let's get you two home."

Once at Ginny's, Ginny helped Kyra with her nightgown and then let Lucius tell her a story. Afterwards, Kyra gave her father what she called Butterfly Kisses and then went right to sleep without complaining. Lucius walked back into the living room. He realised as he looked at Ginny that he wanted to hug her. He always loved his son but the relationship between son and father was different from that of a father daughter relationship. Ginny smiled at him. "What is it Lucius?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I would not ask if I did not." she said.

"I would do it all, again; every terrible thing. As long as the outcome was the same. I have done nothing to deserve such a gift. Thank you."

She smiled, "Sit down, Lucius. You know there was a time that I was scared that I would tell you about her and you would not want anything to do with her. I tried to think of what I would tell Kyra about her father – Well I'm just happy I did not have to go down that path."

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The next week or two had been very busy for Lucius. He had not seen Kyra in almost ten days. He found himself missing both her and Ginny. So once he finished with his last meeting at one in the afternoon, he decided he would go over to Ginny's to see Kyra. He was surprised not to see the two of them outside playing ,so at first he thought they might not be home. However, after knocking on the door, he saw Kyra's face looking at him through the window in the door. It was clear Kyra had been crying, "Daddy I can't open the door."

He smiled at her, "Well, your mother will open it."

"No she's sleeping. I can't get her up."

Lucius was mad. What kind of mother sleeps until one in the afternoon and tells her child not to wake them up. He took out his wand "Alohomora!" He then entered the house. It hurt him to see Kyra upset as he hugged her. He looked around the living room and kitchen. Kyra had clearly helped herself to some milk and fruit. But still a child of her age should not have to fend for themselves. He set her down." Princess I'm going to have a talk with you mother. You stay here." After putting her down, he turned on his heel and headed for Ginny's room. The door was open; he could see the lump under the covers. "Ginevra, I think it's time you woke up" he ordered. When she did not move he stepped close to the bed and reached out to shake her. Her small body rolled over, and then her knew why she was still asleep; she had dragon poxes. Along with the markings that could be seen on her face, neck, and hand she clearly had a high fever and chills. Lucius knew what Dragon Poxes looked like and could do; he had lost his own father to it. "Ginevra, we're going to get you taken care of." He pulled the covers up to her neck and left for the living room.

"Daddy, did you get Mummy up?" Kyra asked.

"Kyra, your mummy is very sick. I don't think she will be getting up for a few days at least. I must call a Healer." Lucius called a healer, who came to the house and confirmed that it was Dragon Poxes. There had been a recent outbreak and; St. Mungo's was only taking the sickest because of the high number of those infected. As it was highly contagious Kyra and he were quarantined with Ginny in the house; however because Lucius had been exposed to it before, he would not get sick. If Kyra did not get sick in the next two days she would be fine as well. After the healer left, Lucius decided to floo call the Burrow, as he knew that Kyra's sense of time was not the most accurate and there was a chance that they would also become ill.

Kyra looked worried. "Daddy who's going to take care of me?"

He looked at the small child and smirked. "Don't you think I can take care of you?"

"But you have to take care of Draco" she stated innocently.

Lucius chuckled to himself. Draco had been able to care for himself for some time now. "I think he's big enough to take care of himself. But I have to call your grandmother right now."

Molly was very surprised to see Lucius' head in her fireplace. "Molly!"

"Lucius, what can I do for you?"

"I came to Ginny's house and discovered that she has come down with Dragon Poxes."

"Oh my God! Has she seen a healer yet?" The concern was clear in her face.

"Yes, but with the current outbreak she is not ill enough to warrant a stay in the hospital."

"And Kyra? How is she?"

"At this point she is showing no sign of it. The healer says if she goes the next 48 hours without showing any signs she will be fine."

"Oh that's something at least. I'll be over in a half hour."

Lucius might not mind Molly as much as her husband but he had no desire to be holed up in a house with her for days on end. "Molly. I don't think there's any need for that." He could see the unhappy look on her face. "I am already contagious and do not wish to risk Draco coming down with it. But I have been exposed to it in the past so I will not get sick myself. I'm very willing to care for my daughter and her mother until it is safe for them to be around others again."

"But she needs her mother" Molly protested.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Kyra said something about a wedding that is to take place at your home in the next couple of weeks. I'm sure that you don't want to come down with dragon poxes yourself, with all the work that you have ahead of you." Lucius did not get along with Arthur; he had less problems with Molly."I promise to keep you informed of everything that happens."

"I don't like it, but you're right. Call if you need anything. And give both of my girls my love."

Lucius spent the next few days enjoying time with his daughter. His days were split up three ways; entertaining Kyra, caring for Kyra which included cooking and cleaning up after her he found that she loved to help and if he made a game of it all the better. Kyra did not complain as Draco had when he was her age, and the last part of his day was spent caring for Ginny; trying to keep her fever down and giving her the potions the healer left and ensuring that she got food and water. She was still hardly conscious and unable to do anything for herself.

On the second evening Lucius was giving Kyra a bath and it was then he realized that Ginny must need to be bathed as well. He would deal with that once Kyra was in bed and asleep. After he was sure Kyra was sleeping he readied things for a sponge bath for Ginny. However as he entered her room he realized that because of the rape she might not appreciate him washing her. But if she was clean it would only speed the healing. But for her pride he did grab a couple of extra towels to cover her with. He started by pulling her sheet high up to her chin, then he used his wand to make her nightgown disappear. He then took one of the towels and covered her groin and the other covered her breasts. He washed all but what was covered. Finally, he could put those parts off no longer; he was just going to bewitch the cloth to wash her breasts until he realized because of the yellow-green wet spot on the towel, that one of the dragon poxes that was on her breast was oozing. He removed the towel to check it finding a lager number of poxes; this area would have to be cleaned by hand so as not to pop any more of the poxes. He felt like a pervert handling her, as it caused him a fair amount of arousal. He tried to keep his mind on the task at hand. Once he finished he put Ginny in a clean nightgown and then sat her in the chair that was in her room while the bedding removed itself and was replaced with clean bedding. After he finished he wondered what had happened to him; he was playing nursemaid to a Weasley and did not mind. He entered the living room. Severus Snape's face was in the fire.

"Ginny is that you?"

"Severus, it's Lucius, What can I do for you?"

"Lucius, I had not heard from Ginny in a couple of days, we normally speak more often than that and I was concerned. Where is she?"

"Ginny has come down with Dragon Poxes."

"How bad? What about Kyra?"

"Not bad enough to be in the hospital. And Kyra is fine; she shows no signs of it."

"And the reason you're there, Lucius?"

Lucius was angry; how dare Snape question him. "I only found out Ginevra was sick after I was exposed. I didn't want Draco to become ill as well."

Snape nodded, "Tell Ginny I would be at a loss without her."

Lucius did not sleep well that night. He had dreams that he found disturbing. This was not the norm for him. He disliked how he was left feeling. As he made breakfast for Kyra and himself he looked at his daughter; she might have some answers for him. Kyra was sitting at the table. He smiled to himself. "Princess, tell me who comes and visits Mummy?"

"Lots of people."

Lucius thought for a moment, "What about people you don't see all the time at your Grandparents."

"Rebecca. Cindy, Sara, Hannah—"

Lucius could tell this might be a long list. "What about boys?"

"Oh, well, Dan came and took our pictures once. Neville sometimes comes and helps mummy with her plants, and Uncle Severus comes for dinner all the time."

He hit gold. "Oh I know Severus. He spends lots of time here?"

Kyra nodded. "He stays to talk big people talk after I go to bed. Mummy is always happy when he comes. Do you get happy to see him too?"

"You have no idea." he sneered. Lucius was in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

After Kyra was in bed he went to give Ginny the potion the healer left. He was pleased to see she was waking up. She seemed to be a little disoriented at first. Lucius sat on the side of her bed smirking as she opened her eyes "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"I feel terrible, what happened?"

"You've been quite ill with Dragon Poxes." She went to rub her face; Lucius grabbed her hand . "Careful! The Poxes are just scabbing over. You don't want to disturb them now."

"Where is Kyra?"

"It's late. She's in bed sleeping."

She tried to sit up but was quite weak. Lucius helped. "Don't take this the wrong way but why are you here?"

"I came by and found Kyra upset because she could not wake you. I found you very ill and we were all quarantined here. You need to take this and then get some sleep. Tomorrow Kyra will want to spend time with you." He helped her into a sitting position, and handed her a vial.

She took the potion from him. "You've been caring for me all this time?" After drinking it, she closed her eyes. "I feel a little light headed."

"Yes. Maybe you should lie back down."

She laid back down, and closed her eyes for a second. "Why?"

"Just call it pennance for thinking badly of you." he replied. Ginny gave him a weak smile.

The next morning Lucius was up and making breakfast before Kyra woke up. As he was mixing the pancake batter he heard the tiny footsteps of Kyra moving down the hall. Once she entered the kitchen she walked over to her father and gave him a big hug. "Good morning. Daddy, I like you being here with me." Lucius smiled at her as he combed her hair with his fingers. He was beginning to think that she woke up at some point each night and tied knots in her hair.

"I enjoy being with you too. I have some good news for you. I think your mother will be well enough for you to spend some time with her today." He could see the excitement in her eyes. "But we must not overtax her. So as soon as she seems to be getting tired we must let her rest without question, okay?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N -I'm still looking for a beta, however I would like to thank my wonderful husband Mark for trying to beta for me, and he is the one who translated Fleur for me.**

After two more days it was safe for Lucius to leave and life returned to normal at Ginny's. A week later Ginny went to her healer just for a check on her recovery. When she arrived there was another lady in the waiting room "Ginny Weasley to see Healer Banks." Ginny told the receptionist when she arrived.

"He's running a bit late Ginny. Just have a seat."

Kyra took off towards the toy area. "Actually, while I'm here I need to make a name change on Kyra's record." Ginny said.The woman pulled out a pad to write the change down. "Her last name needs to read as Malfoy now."

"How do you spell that?"

Ginny smiled, then continued, "M-a-l-f-o-y."

"No problem Ginny."

"Do I have time to run to the rest room?"

"Yes."

"Kyra, come with me for a minute."

"BUT Mummy I'm playing!"

The receptionist smiled, "I'll keep an eye on her. It's no problem."

"Thanks. Kyra, I'll be right back." Kyra nodded after the door closed behind Ginny.

The woman who had been reading a magazine got up and walked over to the desk. "Did I hear right? Did she say Malfoy? As in the Malfoys family of Death Eaters?" The receptionist nodded. "There's no way I would ever let my child have anything to do with that family, never mind bear that name. We all know what the Death Eaters did during the war."

"You're telling me! Half of my family spent the war waiting to be killed" said the receptionist.

The next day Ginny was getting herself and Kyra ready for Ron and Hermione's wedding. Ginny was to be Hermione's maid of honour and Kyra was to be one of the flower girls. It was a very warm summer day, perfect for a wedding. The windows at Ginny's were open to let some of the breeze in. Ginny had some of her favourite music playing. It was Muggle music; Madonna to be exact. Kyra had not been herself since their outing the day before. Ginny hoped it was just nerves. Ginny was finishing with Kyra's hair when Kyra asked "Mummy, what's a Death Eater?"

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Where did you hear that word?" She worried that Lucius may have talked to someone while she was sick.

"Yesterday at the Healer's. The lady said daddy was one. They don't sound like nice people. What is a Death Eater?"

"Well, uh, let's see. Death Eaters. Well, it was kind of like a club of people. Like everywhere else there's good and bad. Yes, in fact your father, Draco and even Uncle Severus where Death Eaters, but none of them have ever done anything to hurt you and they never will. You don't have to worry, okay?"

"But those ladies said... "

"Kyra, your father loves you and I know that no matter what he did or may have done has nothing to do with you. All three, your dad, Uncle Severus, and even Draco love you. Don't listen to what other people say. You have to look at the facts you know and make up your own mind."

"Kay."

Unknown to Ginny, Lucius was standing outside of the house and overheard the whole conversation about Death Eaters. He had arrived just as Kyra asked the question about Death Eaters. He listened so he would know for himself just what Ginny was telling the child without him knowing. Lucius was pleased with how she handled it. She was honest and kept to the facts that the child needed to be concerned with when she could have torn him up. He slowly walked up to the door and knocked on it.

"Come in." Ginny's voice greeted Lucius. As he entered, he saw his daughter. Her strawberry blond hair was piled in curls on the top of her head, she was wearing a soft, cream colored full dress that came down to her mid shin. He was shocked to see how beautiful she looked. He then saw Ginevra; her dress was the sane colour as Kyra's, however only some of her hair was pulled back. Her makeup was flawless. "Lucius, I was not expecting you."

He looked around trying to find the source of the music. Finally, he spoke. "Yes I know I did not plan to stop by –"

"Daddy, how do I look?" Kyra asked as she gave a slow spin to show off all sides.

He looked at her. "I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful, Angel." He again looked around the room for where the music was coming from. "Ginevra, what are you listening to?"

Ginny bit her lip, "Don't get upset, but it's Muggle music." She paused, but only for a second. She expected him to react, how ever his face remained neutral. "But to a degree, it's your fault, too."

He eyed her with interest. As he spoke his eyebrow rose," How so?"

"Well, after the whole chamber thing I was not quite myself. That summer we went on holiday to Egypt. While we were there Bill's roommate, a muggle born, liked to listen to this. When I heard it I felt better than I had in a really long time; everyone could see the difference. Bill went out and bought me a discman and this CD. I listen to it when I need to recharge. Can you give me a hand here? Put these flowers in Kyra's hair. I'll be right back."

Ginny stepped out of the room for a minute. Lucius looked at the little white flowers and bewitched them into Kyra's hair. As he did this he thought. When Ginny returned, the music had stopped and she had a handbag with her as well as a gift.

"I stopped by to tell you and Kyra that I was going to be out of town for about a week on business. But in light of your beliefs about me I would like to ask the two of you to come with me." Lucius said.

"Lucius, what on earth are you talking about?" Ginny replied. Kyra sat quietly just watching her parents.

"You seem to believe that I have no use for anything Muggle. I wish to show you a different side. Something most of the wizarding world is not aware of."

She eyed him suspiciously. "I'm sure there are a great many things most of the wizarding world does not know about you."

He sneered as he replied, " There are things even the other members of my club don't know about me or my life. But I want Kyra and you as her mother to know about me. Will you come with me?"

"I don't know Lucius."

"When was the last time you took some time off?"

"A week or so ago."

"You were ill. I mean a holiday. Yes I have work meetings and such. But the house is on the beach and it's a lovely spot. I would be around in the evening to spend time with Kyra. And you could do anything you feel like without worry about her."

She looked a little puzzled. "Lucius, why can you just apparate for your meeting?"

He came closer. "People, like your father, have always believed that most of the money I have made was through dark business. In truth I have made most of it in an unbelievable way." She waited for him to continue. "I have a few very profitable Muggle businesses."

She looked like he could have knocked her over with a feather; she raised an eyebrow. "Muggle businesses?"

"Don't look so shocked. There are more Muggles and there is more money to be made in their world. I am a businessman after all and everything in business is supply and demand. There is a greater demand with them. I am not so arrogant that I can't see that. I don't have to enjoy what I'm doing to profit from it. Now, will you come?"

"Please mummy, can we? I want to see the beach." Kyra said, reminding them that she was still in the room.

Ginny felt as if she was in a parallel universe. "When would we be leaving? How long will we be gone for?" Ginny inquired.

"Tomorrow say around four. One week give or take a day or two."

"That doesn't give me much time but I guess we can. But Lucius, we must get out of here or Ron and Hermione won't be getting married today."

"And that would be such a shame, wouldn't it?" he said sarcastically. He then remembered himself. "I will see you tomorrow." He turned to say goodbye to Kyra. "You have fun today, Princess." As he reached the door he spoke again. "And Ginny, only pack Muggle clothing." He closed the door with a wave of his hand.

Ginny realized she just agreed to go on a holiday with a Death Eater and she did not even know where they were going. She ran to the door after Lucius. "Lucius," He was just about to apparate but stopped. "Where exactly are we going?"

"California. Just outside of the city of L.A."

"Thanks."

One hour later Ginny walked down the aisle at her brother's wedding. She looked at Harry and gave a small smile to him. Thinking about the fact that he still didn't know why she did not want to be with him, few people knew. He was now with Luna and Ginny was happy for both of them. She now only thought of Harry as another brother. However, she never kissed any of her brothers; at least not like that. She watched as Ron and Hermione said their vows. She wondered if she would ever do the same. She then thought of the person who might want to marry her_. The_ _poor guy would have to put up not only with Dad, my five remaining brothers, Harry Potter. Severus Snape and now the publicly known Lucius Malfoy, father of my child. Oh God, I'll be single for the rest of my life!_ She moved towards Harry to walk back down the aisle. After pictures were taken, Ginny noticed Kyra was playing with the other children. She made her way over to George. "How's my favourite boss?"

"Hey you looked beautiful. All better?"

"Yes, But I'm going to take off for a week or so. Just some R&R."

"Oh really? Are you leaving Kyra with Mum and Dad then? Is there someone we don't know about?"

She sighed, "I wish. No. We, Kyra and I, are going with Lucius to L.A.in the U.S.A. We leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Ginny." Harry walked up and George said to him, "Ginny's taking Kyra and going on holiday with Lucius Malfoy."

"Ginny, you can't he's-"Harry started.

"We all know who and what he is. We've all been through this before. Once when I told you about Kyra, and again when he entered her life. Lucius has been respectful of my wishes as far as Kyra goes. And if he was going to hurt me or her he could have done it while I was sick. Instead he cared for me and Kyra, seeing to all of our needs and never did anything. Now today is about Ron and Hermione. Please just drop it. If it will make everyone feel better I'll call you, George, every day. But drop it now." She walked away. Fleur's father asked her for a dance. She was grateful for that. Ginny had the sane conversation three more times that evening. She was just happy that Ron and Hermione did not hear about her plans. She did not want to ruin their day.

Ginny was sitting at a table by herself when Fleur came over, "Ginny, you can't be mad at all of zem. Zey are jus' worried about you. I mean Lucius eez a powerful man, and zey don't want to see you get 'urt. Since 'e showed up 'ave you even gone on a date?"

Ginny looked at her sister in law and gave a little sigh. "No, but in my own defence would you want to go out with me?"

"Ginny, you are a beautiful, smart young woman. Why would you say somezing like that?", Fleur asked.

"I was thinking while Ron and Hermione were saying their vows that between Dad and the boys, which includes Harry and now Lucius, who will be around for a very long time... well I don't think there are too many guys out there that might even want to try dating me." Ginny said, feeling sorry for herself.

"Well yes eet could seem quite intimidating, but I don't tink you would want someone who could not face all of zat. Really, would you want a guy who always took off when Lucius showed up? Or who sat in total awe of 'Arry? No, you need someone who does not scare easily. And maybe doesn't tink of Harry as ze second coming." Fleur laughed. "You need to date Lucius."

Ginny was watching her family as the different members danced, talked and celebrated Ron finally coming to his senses about Hermione, then looked back at Fleur in shock. "Fleur! He's almost as old as Dad. And-"

"Ze lady she protest too much. Tink about it. 'E's good looking, very well off. Okay, he's fity rich, and at least 'e's not Draco. I thnk is either him or a muggle. Oh Ginny I'm only teasing! But if someting did ever happen zat way, as long as you were 'appy, I would be zere for you, you know zat, yes?"

Ginny looked at her. "Fleur, I'm not going to tell the rest of the family about this conversation for fear they might kill you and I would hate to see Victorie grow up without a mother."


	5. Chapter 5

**Heres chapter five for you. I can't believe the number of reviews and the number of you who added this to your story alerts. Please review**.

Chapter five

Ginny spent the next morning packing her and Kyra's things and thinking about the fact that there were few men in the world who would be able to deal with the men in her life. She remembered Ron's reaction when she started dating. The only boy he was okay with was Harry, and after that ended the only guy who touched her was Neville and that was only a 'help you feel better' kiss. In her sixth year, boys were all to scared of what their world was coming to, or the fact that Harry was her last boyfriend kept them away. Not that she would have dated at that time; her heart belonged to Harry. Now that she thought about it, if Tom had not ordered Lucius to rape her she may have died a virgin. However, that was still the only time she was ever touched that way, but she respected herself and Kyra too much to sleep with just anyone. When she meets someone, she would need to get to know him very well and know that he was going to be around for a long time and that they were going somewhere. Before she would let him meet Kyra, he would have to prove himself. She would not sleep around like some women she heard about; she did not believe in having sex to have sex. And she would not send that message to her daughter.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." she hollered. As she came out of Kyra's room she found Snape in her living room. He wore a sour face but she smiled at him. "Severus!" She came up and gave him a hug. "Sit," she gestured to the sofa.

As she sat Severus remained standing; he in fact began to pace. His black robes were swaying gently as he moved about the room. "I woke up to the most disturbing thing; Potter at my door. The only way I could get rid of him was by promising I would come and talk to you about the fact that you're going away with Lucius. Is that true?"

She laughed. "I knew I got off too easy last night. I'm sorry about Harry. And I'm not going away with him. I'm joining him and Kyra while he's away on business. It's nothing really."

"How on earth did he get you to go with him?" Severus mused. He finally sat down on the other end of the sofa facing Ginny.

"He's being really good with Kyra and he took care of us while I was sick."

"And did you ever wonder what he got out of it?"

"I know what he got out of it. He got the chance to drive my father up the wall by being here with us for days without any one around, he got to spend time with Kyra, and Draco did not get sick. Why does everyone think I'm a small child who has forgotten just who he is. I know he's the one who gave me Tom's diary."

"We all know that you know that. Your family is just worried about you. It's a great gift to have so many people who love you even if they are a pain in the ass." Severus offered.

"Does that go for Harry too?" she teased.

"He does- if you ever tell anyone- have alot of his mother in him." He looked around the room. "Where is Kyra?"

"Dad should be bringing her anytime now."

"And Lucius is arriving when?"

"Not til about four. I planned it that way. I did not want the two of them to have to face each other. I don't think I'm ready for that just yet."

"You never did say how your father is doing now that he gets to hear how great Lucius is on a regular basis."

"I think he might bite his own tongue off one of these days but he has not said anything to any of the kids. Thankfully. Harry's having a harder time of it, I think." She knew that would make Severus smile.

Well, smirk at least. "Remind me to offer that girl money to talk more about her father to the boy wonder." Ginny laughed. "Well now you can tell Harry I came by. So I will leave you to your packing. Where exactly are you going?"

"The U.S. - California I think. Tell me I'm right: it's warm there."

"Yes. What business does Lucius have there?"

"He never really said. I'll miss you" said Ginny.

"I should be going, but let me know when you're back. And tell Kyra I have a potion I want her to try."

"She'll love that. She misses you, you know."

He smiled. "I really must be going now." He got up and moved towards the door. Ginny followed him.

"Thanks for stopping by. Once we're back will you come for dinner?" she asked.

"Of course you know I would not miss the chance to enjoy your cooking. Just let me know when and I am here."

"Of course; take care. "He nodded to her and left. Ginny returned to her packing, only to hear her father arrive with Kyra.

"Ginny, are you here?" he called out.

"Yes Dad. Hello Kyra! Why don't you go pick a toy to take. Just put it on top of the trunk in your room" she replied as she entered her living room again.

"Okay mummy, and I have sooo much to tell you." Kyra said happily.

"I hope it was not too much trouble after the wedding."

"No, you know your mother, the more people around the happier she is."

Ginny laughed, "Thanks for bringing her back."

"Ginny, are you sure about what you're doing? I wish you would rethink this!"

"Dad. We will be fine. I already promised George I would call him every day. You all can panic if you don't hear for me, okay? Please drop it; she's just in the other room." Arthur gave a knowing smile, and nodded. "Is there anything I can bring back for you?"

"I've heard about something called a cell phone. I'd love to find out how they work. Hermione's mother had one."

"I'll see what I can do. I love you dad. Kyra, are you going to say goodbye to your grandpa?"

By three-thirty Ginny was just about ready to scream because Kyra had not stopped talking. Kyra went from the wedding to what she and her cousins did to talking about Lucius and back to the wedding and so on. Ginny was at the point where she could not wait for Lucius to arrive just so she could have some peace. Ginny had checked and rechecked her packing, watered her plants, and put a charm on them so they would re-water themselves. Finally, Lucius knocked on the door; but louder was Kyra's squeal of" Daddy's here!" Ginny opened the door, smiling at him.

"Thank God you're here!" she said.

"Daddy, we're all going on a trip together! I packed all my things there in my trunk. Mummy said I could bring my doll. And I have some nightgowns and my swimsuit..."

"I'm pleased you're so ready Kyra, but it's not polite to give so much information" he explained as he picked her up to give her a hug. "Ginevra, I hear Kyra's all packed; can I assume the same goes for you?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to give a detailed list like some people."

"But I was looking forward to that list." He smirked.

Ginny turned red as she realised what he was getting at. "Mummy your face is all red; even your ears." Like Ginny needed it announced.

"Thank you sweetheart. I don't think I would have known if you had not told me. Lucius, how are we getting to California?"

"We will apparate to the Airport in L.A., then a limo will pick us up and drive us to the estate. Kyra," he placed her in a chair in the living room and knelt down to look her straight in the eye. "Daddy needs you to do him a big favour. Can you do that for me?" She nodded. "Well, on our trip we have to pretend to be Muggles. That means we don't talk about magic, we don't do any, I mean any, magic. Not even toys. There's a lady at the house. Her name is Mrs. Cadbury. She is a Muggle and she lives at the house. She must not find out that we are wizards. Okay?"

Ginny almost choked. "You have a Muggle in your employment, or do you just rent this house?"

"It's mine. I have to maintain the appearance that I'm a Muggle the whole time we are there. If my help is ever asked, my staff really thinks I'm a Muggle and everyone stays in the dark." Lucius explained to Ginny.

Ginny was still surprised by the fact that Lucius had anything to do with the Muggle world. She had wondered if she should have told her father, but decided to see what happens this week. She never heard about him having anything to do with the Muggle world, good or bad. So it seemed reasonable to say that maybe it was all on the up and up. She'd see, as long as it did not turn into a big Death Eater's convention. "Okay let's get going."

Twenty minutes later Lucius, Ginny and Kyra were sitting in a limo that had met them at the airport. As they rode to Lucius' house, Kyra talked her father's ear off telling him far more than Ginny knew he would ever want to know about Ron and Hermione's wedding. Ginny reflected on their arrival in L.A. They apparated into a broom cupboard at the very end of the terminal and when the coast was clear they exited. Then Ginny and Kyra went into the ladies room and once in the large wheelchair stall Ginny enlarged their trunks. Then they left the washroom where Lucius met them with a trolley for the trunks. Just outside they were met by Lucius' driver. Ginny now watched the view from the window. They had now left the city and were driving along a road that had many large gates and walls but once in awhile she could see the ocean. Finally, the car turned up a drive through a gate that opened as if by magic. Then a large two storey white estate home came into view. It had many windows both up and down and all of the same size, and several white columns that went from the ground to the roof. Once the car came to a stop, the front door opened and a friendly looking plump woman with brown hair came out. She wore an apron over her black dress. The driver opened the door. Once out Lucius helped Kyra and Ginny out as well.

"Mrs. Cadbury, how are you doing?" Lucius asked.

"Fine thank you Mr. Malfoy. These are the guests you told me about, sir?"

"Yes, this is Ginevra Weasley," He indicated to Ginny.

"How do you do?" Ginny said offering her hand.

"And Kyra, our daughter." Kyra waved at the woman.

"Pleased to meet you, Everything is ready just as you asked, Mr. Malfoy."

"Thank you Mrs. Cadbury. Ginevra, Kyra, come I'll show you around the house." As they entered the house Lucius had placed his hand on Ginny's lower back to guide her. He was surprised when he realized he had done so and that she did not pull away. He showed Ginny and Kyra around starting on the frist level; all the rooms on that level were accessible from a long hall which ran along the front of the house. Each room had large floor to ceiling walk out windows that looked out over the estate. The rooms were all decorated in earthtones that varied from the lightest beige to terra cottas and earthy greens. But the view was all anyone really saw. There was a pool and deck with lounge chairs and a huge patio set, then the greenest greass Ginny had ever seen. At the end of the lawn were some palm trees and then the beach and ocean.

They were going upstairs as Ginny spoke. "Lucius, when you said you had a house I did not think for a second that you meant an estate, I mean this is stunning, for something you only spend a couple of weeks at every couple of years."

"Ginevra, one can have all the business deals they want but land is one of the few things that will always have value. And if you're going to have land it may as well be the best, most desirable piece of land you can get." There was a coldness about how he said it. "Kyra, this will be your room while we are here." The room was done in soft shades of blue, there was a queen size bed with white sheets and a blue duvet as well as many pillows. The walls were a couple of shades darker but still blue. "Here is the bathroom." Lucius opened the door to one of the biggest bathrooms Ginny had ever seen, Kyra could have a bath with five other children and there would still be room in the tub. The room was all white marble and there was also a walk in shower stall that more than one person could use at the same time.

"Lucius, this is a bit big for a four year old."

He ssmiled at her "You're worried about her getting into trouble, right? Which is why I put her in this room. " He walked into the bathroom and at the far end there was another door. As he opened it he continued. "And you're in this room." The connecting bedroom was just as big as the first and was done in sand tones with green accents.

"Thank you. This is great."

Lucius looked too pleased with himself. "Our things should be unpacked for us," He looked for Kyra who was asleep on her bed. "Ginevra, I need to be leaving in about an hour. Would you join me for something to eat before I go?"

They sat on the patio enjoying the view."Ginevra, if Kyra wants to play in the water only go in about as deep as you knees. This area has problems with riptides that can be quite strong. I would not want anything to happen to you or Kyra. If you want to swim, please use the pool." Lucius got up. "Paul, the limo driver, will be free in about an hour; he will take you anywhere you would like to go. But I must be going now. I will be back for dinner, around five. I would suggest letting Kyra sleep as long as she wants so she can get used to the time change. Have a good day."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N -I don't own the world of Harry Potter wish I did. However I do own Kyra I can say that with out question because she is total based on my own four year old and named for both of my daughters so don't try to steal her or your have a very mad mother after you that would make Voldy look like a new born kitten.**

Chapter Six

After Lucius left, Mrs Cadbury came out to the pool deck. "Ms. Weasley, I wanted to discuss the menu for while you are here. Would now be a good time?"

Ginny smiled warmly at the older woman, "Please call me Ginny, And now's just perfect; please have a seat." As the woman sat down, Ginny continued. "I'm sure you must be wondering about me,and Kyra-"

"If I can be blunt, it's not my place to wonder. You and your daughter are here as Mr. Malfoy's guests and that's all I need to know. However, Mr. Malfoy did say that you are the one whom I should go over the menu with. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound mean but I'm paid very well to care for this house and it's not my place to ask questions." she smiled.

"I like you Mrs. Cadbury. What do you have planned so far?"

"Not too much; children can be quite picky at the best of times. And tomorrow being Mr. Malfoy's brithday, I was not sure if you had any special plans."

_Tomorrow's his birthday! Oh boy! Kyra will want to get him something._ "Well, would it be okay if Kyra and I made his cake tomorrow . I mean, do you mind if we use your kitchen?"

"Not at all Ginny."

Ginny and Mrs Cadbury went over what foods to avoid and what foods were must haves. "Mrs. Cadbury, could you tell me if there's a craft store somewhere near by?"

"There's a really big one across the lot from the grocery store I'm going to later today. You're welcome to join me or Paul can take you."

"I think it would be great for Kyra to see how Mug-Americans shop for everything in one big shop and all. We will join you if you don't mind." Ginny was pleased she had gone to Gringott's first thing this morning, "But I only have pounds. I don't think your stores take pounds, do they?"

"No, but we can stop at the bank as well; you can exchange your pounds there."

They arrived back from shopping and Kyra wanted to go to the beach and play, so she and Ginny changed. When they got downstairs, Mrs. Cadbury had supplied some sand pails, shovels and other sand toys for Kyra. Ginny and Kyra spent the rest of the afternoon building sand castles. They were putting the final touches on one castle when Lucius arrived. He was wearing khaki walking shorts and a navy blue golf shirt., and his hair was pulled. back in a sleek ponytail."Hello, you two. How was your day?"

"Daddy, do you like our castle?" Kyra jumped up and hugged he father. Ginny smiled at him.

"That's one of the best sand castles I 've ever seen, but we should get you changed for supper."

Ginny rose and began dusting herself off as Lucius and Kyra picked up the sand toys. "How did things go today?" Ginny inquired.

Lucius looked at her and smiled. "Fine, thank you. Did Mrs. Cadbury go over the menu plan with you today?"

"Yes, in fact we joined her on a trip to the grocery store. It was very interesting." They were now walking accross the lawn to the house.

"Ginevra, I will deal with Kyra, if you want to shower" he offered.

Ginny took him up on his offer, enjoying a nice cool shower. It had been a hot day so she enjoyed washing the sweat off her body. As they ate dinner, Kyra's eyes kept slamming shut but she was fighting it. Finally, she sat back in her seat and gave up. They both watched as her mouth fell open. Lucius waited a couple minutes, then picked her up and took her to her room. Once he returned, Mrs. Cadbury served dessert, "So, tell me what you think of L.A.so far."

Ginny smiled, "Its really warm here but very nice. The grocery store was really very interesting, I can just hear Dad asking Kyra all about it once we're home."

Lucius chose not to comment. "What do you have planned for tomorrow?" he asked instead.

"I think we're just going to stay here, I mean, Mrs.Cadbury said something about Disneyland, and Hermione has given Kyra lots of Disney books so she knows all the princesses, but I'm not sure about the rides and how safe they are. I mean, I just don't know."

"I understand your fears, but I was wanting to ask you: I was thinking about the fact that I promised Kyra that I would let her ride on a horse. I thought I would take her to some stables after dinner tomorrow." Lucius suggested.

"I don't think I have to tell you how much she would love that."

Lucius looked at Ginny sitting across from him. She was a little darker than earlier in the day but was still beautiful. "Would you care to walk with me down by the beach? I really enjoy the sunset here."

Ginny eyed him as she thought about it ."Sure, but what about Kyra?"

"Mrs Cadbury will keep an eye out for her and we won't be far."

They had walked out to the beach and it was just before sunset. The color that the sky was already indicated that the sunset would be spectacular. They walked in silence for a long time. Once in awhile Ginny would pick up a piece of driftwood and throw it into the water. The amount of strength she had was surprising. Lucius finally spoke. "Ginevra, I wanted to ask you something, I don't mean to pry, but I was wondering what involvement Severus has in your and Kyra's life?"

She turned towards him. "Severus, well that's a long story. And I get the feeling you want to know it. Of course you do or you would not have asked. Well, it all began the night Kyra was concieved. Once he returned with me to Hogwarts, I found out that Dumbledore asked Severus to kill him, and that he did not betray the Order. After that, he said I had to continue with the things Neville and I were doing so no one would get suspicious. Then after the final battle I brought him back to Hogwarts and we bonded. When I found out that I was going to have Kyra he pushed for me to be able to finish school. I was worried about how Kyra would feel, as she got older, about your past. I did not know at the time how you would take the news of Kyra. At the time you were in Azkaban, and there was your wife, who I knew nothing about except for second hand stuff from Sirus Black and Tonks. I had no idea what would happen once, or at the time if, I told you. But I knew I would never lie to Kyra, and that as she got older she would need to see that just because someone was a Death Eater does not mean that they are all bad. Severus is Kyra's godfather and one of my dearest friends; he even offered to marry me. But while I love him, I'm not in love with him. And his heart will alway belong to Lily Potter." Her hair was blowing in the wind. "Why do you ask?"

Lucius thought for a second; he was unsure himself, finally answering "Just somethings Kyra said. Children can have the most honest voices; it's just a matter of deciphering what they are saying. They don't always understand everything that goes on around them."

She moved closer towards him. "Yes, and Kyra is so willing to give all kinds of information away, doesn't she."

He nodded. "It must be a Weasley thing, or maybe a girl thing. Draco never did that."

Rather than getting mad, Ginny took the high road and moved even closer to him so there was about a foot between them. "Actually, he did; he just did it with a little more style than a four year old.' she baited him.

Lucius stood calmly, setting his jaw and resetting it, "Did he?"

Ginny laughed, "Come on Lucius, I know you know him. He may not have ever said it right out but it would have been less obvious if he walked around naked wearing a sign that said 'My Dad Is A Big Bad Rich Death Eater.' I don't think he knew at the time how to be subtle."

Lucius did not get mad at her for saying he was a Death Eater, mostly because of the way she said it. She was not saying it to cause a problem, instead just stating a fact. " Why are you so calm about that fact?"

She looked him in the eye; her own eyebrow rose. When she finally spoke, her voice was slow and steady. "Maybe because my first friend at Hogwarts was Tom Riddle." She turned and walked very quickly back to the house.

"Ginevra." She did not stop. "Ginevra, please." She just kept going. Lucius followed, finally catching up to her at the pool. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him to see a tear running down her cheek. "Ginevra, I told you I'm sorry."

"You don't know what it was like; how scared I was. When I arrived there I already felt like just another Weasley. You pretty much summed it up that day in the bookstore; second hand stuff. Even my books. For years I dreamed about going to Hogwarts and then when I got there the sorting hat said it perfectly: 'Another Weasley! Gryffindor!' It never even took half a second to think or to find out if that was the right place. Then Harry and Ron's grand return to Hogwarts. My congrats for being placed in Gryffindor was an afterthought in a Howler to Ron. But there was the diary and Tom. He made me feel special., He understood how I felt. I trusted him and he made me do horrible things. I was eleven!

I was scared.You don't know what it was like. And after to realize that you weren't given the diary because you showed anything special, but because you were just another Weasley." The tears were now steadily falling.

Ginny did not see the tears in Lucius' eyes. He pulled her to him, holding her in his strong arms, gently rubbing her back and then he said "I am very sorry." He moved his hand up to her face causing her to look up at him. "You're not just another Weasley." He brought his lips down to hers in a very soft gentle kiss. It did not last long at all. "Come over here and sit down, we need to talk about this." He guided her to the lounge chairs and they sat down facing each other, their knees touching. "I said it before; it was not about you. Right now I get the feeling that in a way it would have been better if it had been."

"When Percy stopped talking to the family," Ginny continued, "Mum was so scared that he might join the Death Eaters, because he always loved power, was so ambitious, and because he might have to do horrible things. But no one would even admit to the fact that I had already done Tom's bidding, with- out question, for almost ten months. As little Ginny Weasley it was not my fault. I was just too stupid to know what I was doing."

"No Ginevra. Voldermort was very persuasive; he conned people much older than you, people with years more experience about not being conned than any eleven year old could have had. I myself was one of those for more than thiry-five years. Only after he ordered Draco to kill Dumbledore did I begin to see him differently, but even then I did not have the courage to go against him.Think about it; he was a half blood orphan who was powerful. He found people with more money than him and he took their beliefs and twisted them into his own, making people believe if they helped him get what he wanted that he would give them what they wanted. People wanted and needed to believe, to believe in him and the more he asked, the more they did for him, even if it was against what they might do normally. After awhile they found they did not even have the power to go againts him. From what I hear, you did. At the age of eleven, you were trying to get rid of the diary; you must be proud of that fact. The amount of bravery you showed at the Ministry and again the night that I rape you." She shook her head. "Let me finsh. After what happened to you, you did not quiver in his presence. In fact, you baited him, challenged him. I admire you greatly for doing that. But I think there are a few things you need to admit. I want to hear you say it. You need to say it to get past it. First about the diary." He looked into her eyes. "Say it; get a hold of your anger so you can move past it."

"You gave me his diary," she whispered.

"Not good enough; try again." Lucius took her hands in his.

"You gave me his diary." This time was a little louder.

"Again." Lucius ordered.

"You gave me Tom's diary." This time there was some anger.

She was close. "Again!" Lucius demanded, tightening his grip on her. She looked into his gray eyes. He could see the fire building in her brown eyes. "Again!"

"**You gave me the diary of a madman, and then raped me, because he told you to, you bastard!" **she screamed. Then more tears fell freely.

Lucius moved closer to her. "I am so sorry I did both to you." He kissed her, on the forehead this time. "I ask – no beg-- for your forgivemess."

"I forgave you a long time ago," Ginny stated.

"Maybe you thought you did, but you could not until you admitted it. Take some time now before you try to forgive me. Do you think you can sleep now?" She shook her head. "Okay, would you be willing to tell me about Kyra's birth?" He wanted her to be thinking about something happier.

"I was really scared. Mum was with me the whole time. Kyra would not turn fully. They had to remove her from me by doing something much like a Muggle C-section. They could not use magic because the baby could move and any accident could be fatal to such a tiny baby. However, with magic they could heal her instantly.

"I wish I could have been there." Lucius said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Ginny gave up trying to sleep at about six am as she had bad dreams for most of the night. So she rose and dressed in some running clothes and went down to the kitchen. Finding Mrs Cadbury unloading the dishwasher, she said "Good morning," trying to be bright. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. As she turned back, Mrs Cadbury already had a glass for Ginny's juice.

"Good morning, Ginny. How did you sleep?"

"My bed is wonderful and the room is great however my mind did not want me to have a good night's sleep."

"I've been there before. I don't understand what Mr. Malfoy was thinking taking a small child on a red- eye flight. Men! All they ever think about is business, leaving the women to worry about the children."

Ginny smiled. "Could you listen for Kyra? I want to go for a run and I'm not sure when Lucius will be up."

"Don't worry. I'm sure if she's like my grandkids she will want to help in the kitchen."

This made Ginny worry a little. "I should tell you she has quite the imagination."

"Can't be any worse than that Draco's. As a boy he would tell me stories about flying on brooms. The amount of detail he would give I almost believed he had really done it. He should have become a writer."

Ginny gave a nervous laugh. "Well, he is her half brother."

Ginny went running for over an hour, going over the dreams she had and the conversation with Lucius last night.Once she returned, Kyra was up and helping make pancakes Ginny returned to her room to shower and change. She had not told Kyra that it was Lucius' birthday. She wanted to surprise him with the cake and craft she and Kyra were going to make.. The craft was easy enough, but the cake was another story. Once it had cooled and it was time to put icing on it, Kyra demanded to do it by herself. Well, Lucius would have never had a cake that looked like this. But if he was a real man he would enjoy the fact that his daughter made it for him. At five o'clock Lucius returned home for the evening. They had supper, and as Mrs.Cadbury cleared the dishes from the main course Kyra went in to the kitchen to help. To Ginny's surprise Kyra never said anything about it being Lucius' birthday,

Lucius looked at Ginny, "What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny replied innocently.

Kyra and Mrs. Cadbury reentered the room. Mrs Cadbury was carrying the pink iced cake with one candle on it and Kyra was singing Happy Birthday. Lucius eyed the pink cake in front of him, raising an eyebrow. It was Kyra, however, who spoke "I know the cake looks funny daddy but I really tried. I hope it tastes good."

"If you made it I'm sure it tastes great because it looks like the best cake anyone ever made for me." Ginny was not sure but she thought she saw some tears in his eyes. There was more to him that she saw with each day that passed.

Later he and Kyra went to the stables so she could ride for her first time. Ginny stayed at the house reading. After Ginny said good night to Kyra, she decided to go for a swim. She changed into a royal blue two piece suit and covered up with her bathrobe. She also grabbed a small stone basin, which she always traveled with because sometimes dreams of her first year at Hogwarts would get so bad she would have to remove then just to sleep, and a small vial whose contents were silver- gray. They were charmed to look like a book and pen to a Muggle. Once down at the pool, she put the basin and vial on the table. Removing her bathrobe she jumped into the water. It was dark out but still quite warm. She swam for at least twenty minutes before she heard Lucius on the pool deck. She stopped and treaded water in the middle of the pool, asking, "Is she asleep?"

"I did not even finish the first half of the story before she drifted off." He looked at her in the middle of the pool. "Are you going to come out and talk to me?"

"Not yet. There's another gift for you on the table. Why don't you have a look at it and we'll talk after."

"I was wondering what that was about."

"Looks like a pen and book to me." Ginny said. He walked over to the table and Ginny returned to her swimming. When Lucius finished Ginny was floating on her back near the side of the pool. She looked amazing; her body showed no signs of having had a child. The swimsuit she wore made her look very sexy. Her eyes were closed and it looked like she was meditating. Lucius grabbed her bathrobe and walked over to the stairs of the pool.

"Were we going to talk now?" he said loudly. Ginny rolled over and began to make her way to the stairs. Slowly emerging from the water, her body was wet and tiny drops of water were falling off of her. The light shining off her and the way she moved made Lucius relieved that he was holding her robe in front of himself. He held it open for her, and as she turned her back to him he got a great view of her ass right before the robe reached her shoulders. While she tied the robe Lucius muttered a spell that caused the blood to return to his brain instead of his groin. She twisted her hair to remove any extra water, then finally turned to face him.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"Amazing." He was talking about one thing and her about another.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it; at the time it was the scariest thing I had ever been through. But after, when I viewed it, it was one of the most beautiful things I ever saw. The birth of a baby is the most amazing thing."She sat down.

Lucius joined her at the table. "I'm surprised you allowed me to see it. How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Mrs Cadbury said something yesterday. Did Kyra give you her craft?"

"Yes. I want to thank you for both." He was trying to keep his eyes on her face, however, they wanted to travel down to the cleavage that the robe created.

"Well, I had to do something."

"I need to ask you a favor," she looked at him to finish. "Tomorrow I have a business dinner thar I would prefer to keep more social and I was wondering if you would join me."

"I don't know. I mean, I would have to find a dress. After all I only brought my mommy clothing, and what about Kyra?"

"I'm sure Mrs Cadbury will watch her" Lucius reassured her. "Will you join me?"

"Sure. I might find out what kind of business you have out here."

"Come in; it looks like it might rain any minute." He held out his hand to help her up. As she took it he pulled her up and towards him, until she was touching his body. "Do you have any idea the affect you have on men?"

She looked into his eyes which were steely blue. She could see the hunger within him as he brought his lips down to hers. There was force to the kiss but at the same time it was gentle. And boy did the man know how to kiss! Mind you, she had only kissed boys up to now. He wrapped his arms around her as she brought her hands up to his back. It felt like some of the twins' fireworks were going off inside her. Suddenly, a rain cloud opened up and it began pouring. They broke apart and headed for cover. Ginny was in a state of shock from the fact that she enjoyed kissing him. She needed time to think, so she just excused herself and retired for the evening.

The next morning, Ginny and Kyra spent extra time in Ginny's bed reading. Ginny did this to avoid Lucius as she was not sure why she kissed him or enjoyed it so much, but she was not quite ready to deal with it just yet.They came down for breakfast around nine. As they were finishing, the phone rang, then Mrs.Cadbury entered the room. "Ginny, its Mr. Malfoy on the phone for you."

Ginny got up and walked out to the phone in the hall. "Hello."

"Good morning Ginevra, I just want to let you know that I took the liberty of making an appointment at the best dress salon in Beverly Hills for you to select something for this evening. My treat. Paul will pick you up at eleven."

"Lucius, you did not have to do that."

"Yes I did. You're doing me a favor. It's the least I could do. We will need to leave about five thirty. And if you see anything else you like or need, get it as well."

So Ginny and Kyra spent the better part of the afternoon on Rodeo Drive, and found a dress and a needed bra to go with it as well as shoes and stockings. Paul them drove them to a hair salon where their hair was done. They arrived home, giving Ginny enough time to change into the dress she got and put on some makeup. Once she was all done, Ginny headed to the stairs. She could see Lucius standing in the entrance hall at the bottom of the stairs. He was wearing a black suit and his hair hung loosely around his shoulders. As Ginny began to descend the stairs, he turned to see her. She wore a deep teal dress that fell a couple of inches above her knee and clung seductively to her body. The straps sat just on the curve of her shoulders. Lucius smirked at her. "I knew having you with me tonight would help. They will take one look at you and not be able to think of business."

Ginny looked up at him from under her eyelashes and smiled. "Thank you, I think."

"Let's get going."

"Mummy, Daddy, wait! I need kisses." Kyra came running out of the kitchen. They both gave kisses and then finally left the house.

As they rode Ginny finally asked, "Perhaps it might help if I knew what type of business it is you do. I mean it might seem odd if I have no clue of what you do."

"I guess you're correct. I invest financially in select movies."

Ginny almost choked on her own breath. "Movies? Are you serious?"

"Quite. The Muggles in the entertainment industry are more willing to accept me if they think of me as eccentric. And because of how long it takes to make a movie, it requires me to spend very little time here. Just the way I like it."

Once they arrived, Ginny met two men; Steven and George. The evening went very well. Both men were very nice and charming and the food was great. Lucius could not help noticing how perfectly Ginny handled herself. She remained quiet at the right times, asked the right kinds of questions, and changed the subject when he needed it, almost as if she could read his mind. Once dinner was done and they were in the limo Ginny finally asked, "For how long have you been investing in movies?"

"Over twenty years now." Lucius replied.

"Have you invested in many of Steven's movies?"

"He knows how to bring in the money, so yes."

She smiled. "Do you remember the names of any?"

"Some. Why?"

"I was wondering if you remember one I know I saw."

"Which one was that?"he asked.

"A true story; it was called 'Schindler's List'. Did you invest in it?" she asked in return.

"Yes; in fact I was quite upset with Steven over that one. We could have made a lot more money but he allowed any high school student to see it for free." Lucius still seemed annoyed over it.

"And did you ever see it?"

"No." Ginny laughed at him. "What? You have?" Lucius asked her.

"Yes, in my fifth year, in Muggle studies. I would recommend you see it."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because the fact that you helped finance that movie is extremely ironic" Ginny replied.

"What exactly is it about?" he questioned.

"Just get a copy of it and watch it, without Kyra around."

"And if I don't?" Lucius inquired.

"Fine, don't and I'll just have something to laugh at you about and you'll be left to wonder why." Ginny turned to look out of the window. They were nearly back at the house now, and she would just let him stew in his own juices for the rest of the ride.

Lucius however had other ideas. "Why would you take Muggle studies?"

"Because with people like Hermione around it was an easy mark, and I also remember Ron making a fool of himself trying to use the telephone to call Harry once. I did not want to look like one myself" she explained.

"I would think that you would have been used to Ron looking like a fool" Lucius replied in his drawl.

"Used to it, yes. However, I did not ever want to be like him."

"I would like to thank you for joining me tonight. You were the perfect dinner companion." he said.

Ginny did a double take. "Did Lucius Malfoy just call a Weasley perfect?" she said.. She looked out the window, then back at him. "It doesn't look like hell froze over. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

He looked at her, then replied, "If you look back you will find that we Malfoys only have a problem with Weasley men. And you are perfect at a number of things."

Ginny fell quiet while she thought about this, giving Lucius the chance to take in just how beautiful she looked. He realized that she was younger than his own son, but how could one not find her attractive. It made him wonder why she was single. He was just glad she was. He wondered how far he could take things.

**A/N The reference to real people made in this chapter is meant as a compliment.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

The night after dinner with Steven and George, Lucius had put Kyra to bed. He moved towards her window to close it, and as he did he caught sight of Ginny. She was standing on the beach watching the sunset, wearing a white cotton sun dress with her hair and dress blowing in the wind. She looked at peace. He considered joining her; then he decided against it. He would instead watch the movie she had encouraged him to see. The night before, once Ginny had gone to bed, he ordered Mrs. Cadbury to get him a copy. He now went to his room where he had a sitting room as well. He picked up the box trying to decide how to open it. Once he opened it, he found a small silver disc with a hole in the center of it. He then looked at the machine that he knew would play it, but he was not sure how to put it in. He began to read the different buttons, finding one that said 'Open.' He pressed it and the drawer slid open; he guessed the word side should go up. It took another minute or two before he found the right button to start the movie. Lucius was amazed that Muggles could do anything.

Lucius was very surprised at how the movie left him feeling. He waited until Kyra was asleep the following night. He had already told Ginny he wanted to speak with her. She said she would be down at the beach once he was ready. So he made his way down to find her sitting on the sand. The sky was every color from dark blue to purple to orange. "I think you also enjoy the sunsets" he said.

"How could I not?" Ginny asked. Her feet were bare and half-buried in the sand. She wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. " You wanted to talk to me?"

He sat down next to her. "Yes," he paused, looking out to the horizon. "Last night I watched the movie."

She looked at him. "Oh.What did you think?"

"Is that what Dumbledore wanted you to think was going to happen?"

"I don't know. I think Professor Burbage was scared it could happen. I mean, you must see the parallels. Without the Unforgivables it would have been a lot harder. I can't say what would have happened if Harry had failed. Part of me is scared to think about it."

"I only know a few people who enjoyed watching someone die."

"Bellatrix being one." Ginny replied.

He raised his eyebrow. "Yes."

"I have a hard time believing that she could be related to Tonks."

"You knew Tonks then?"

"Yes. For quite awhile we thought Mum was maybe trying to get her and Bill together; at the time she was better than Fleur. Tonks was kind of sisterly towards me. It's hard to believe that they were related to each other. Tonks was so kind. Bellatrix was..."

"So was Naricissa; kind I mean." Lucius interjected.

"You loved her a great deal, didn't you?" she looked towards him with concern.

"I admired her a great deal. I loved the fact that she gave me Draco. We were friends and yes, I loved her, but I was never in love with her, or she with me." Ginny remained quiet. "I don't know what would have happened if Potter had failed. I would like to think that we are more civilized than the men in that movie, but I don't know for sure. I can only say what happened in the past."

"What was the plan originally?"

"Voldemort only told people what they wanted to know."

She looked at him again, "What did you want to happen?"

He thought for a long monent. "You must know by now I'm not like those men in the movie. That night at the Ministry I did not use any Unforgiveables on you children" he explained.

She smiled. "No you didn't." She scooped up a handful of sand and slowly let it fall through her fingers, then looked back at him. "Had someone told me then I would be sitting here with you calmly discussing this..."

"I know, but when I look at Kyra I'm glad it happened exactly as it did. I never would have believed how much joy a Weasley could bring to my life. You know, the other day at the riding stables, she was so excited to ride but once she was on the horse it was 'Daddy please walk beside the pony! It's my first time!' It was very nice to have someone trust me so much. I'm sure you are aware how different boys are, but I can believe-"

"Well you know what they say; 'Daddy's little girl. Every little girl wants to marry their daddy'." Ginny said and looked at him and found he was looking at her too.

"Don't say that! I would rather not think of you married to your father" Lucius shuddered. She laughed out loud.

"Well I don't feel that way now. But I would want to be with someone who cares about his family like Dad does. I know what you're thinking and yes, times may have been tight but we never doubted how much Mum and Dad loved us. And I'm sure Kyra is already feeling the same about you." The sky was now dark blue and the stars were reflecting off the water.

"It's enough to make me want to be very careful about the choices I make. I want the best for her. You know, each night as she says her prayers I find myself wondering , with everything I have done, what I did I to deserve her. You've done a fantastic job raising her Ginevra."

She smiled at him."Thanks, but I had a lot of help." she started chuckling.

"What?"

"I was just remembering when I had to go to Hogwarts to take my N.E.W.T.s test and Severus was watching her. He was always good with her but to see the one teacher whom every student at Hogwarts was most fearful of, holding this tiny pink bundle, talking baby talk, complete with spit-up on his shoulder! Well, if I ever need a good laugh I think of that. I am very lucky to have the friends and family that I do."

"I think on that note we should go in." He rose and offered a hand to help her up as well. "Would you care to join me for a drink?" She nodded and he took her hand as they walked up to the house.

Once inside, Lucius poured them both drinks and they sat in the living room; Ginny on one end of the sofa, Lucius in the chair closest to her. "What is it exactly you do for work with your brother?" he inquired.

"I told you before I like what I do, and the fact that I can do it from home makes it better. I do everything from payroll to keeping the accounts in good standing. I really enjoy doing it as boring as it sounds."

"If it's something you're good at and you enjoy it, then it's not boring." He took a sip of his drink.

Ginny considered this for a monent. "Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "What are your plans for the future?"

"I'm enjoying making money, and I don't think Draco is ready to take over in the foreseeable future. So I will stay were I am and besides, I am enjoying my time with Kyra." They went on to talk about Lucius' plans for for the next couple of days with Kyra.

After an hour or so Ginny was ready for bed herself. "Well," she said as she rose from her seat, "It's been a long day and I think I spent a little much time in the sun today." Lucius rose as well. "Good night Lucius." He took hold of her and lowered his lips to hers. He tasted of the scotch he had been drinking. His lips moved with skill over hers; he pressed against her tongue asking for entry, which she freely gave. In his arms with those lips on hers, she was powerless against him. His hand took hold of some of her hair and gave it a squeeze. She could feel her knees going weak. She reluctantly pulled away from him. "We can't do this. If Kyra were to see us it would only confuse her." She hurried out of the room. She could only admit that she found him attractive. He was the father of her child and he was there for Kyra because of that, not because he felt bad, like her brothers or Harry. Not that she held that against the others. But he felt the same way about Kyra that she did, the way only a parent can. Ginny also knew that Lucius was a man who had had many lovers and she could not become part of that list. If things changed between them, it would ultimately change things for Kyra and her father. Ginny would not risk that.

She made plans to be as far from Lucius as she could for the next few days. She was sure once they were all back in England things would get back to normal. And she really needed to start dating. Maybe she should ask her friends and family to set her up with someone. Fleur would know some French men, and maybe Hermione knew some, Muggles. Yes, the world was full of men and she would not find 'the one' if she just stayed home every night.

The next morning Ginny sent Kyra down for breakfast with Lucius and she took an extra long shower. By the time she finished, Lucius had left. She informed Mrs Cadbury that she was going out once Lucius was back and that she would not be home for dinner. She returned later that evening, hoping Lucius had already retired for the night. However, Lady Luck was not on her side. She entered the house and could see the light on in the living room. She knew that it would be rude to just go up with- out a word, so she walked towards the living room. Lucius was sitting in the same spot as the night before. "How did things go tonight?" she inquired.

He got up and turned to face her; she could not read his face. It kind of scared her knowing that that was a skill he must have found very useful as a Death Eater. "It went fine, Ginevra." he said. The way he said her name told her that she should sit down. She walked into the room and took a seat, noticing he was drinking coffee tonight. "Did you really think you could avoid me all day?"

"I was not trying to avoid you. I just thought we could use a little space" she replied.

"You don't lie very well."

"Maybe that's why Neville and I got caught so many times causing trouble" she stated. She knew she should be trying to disarm the situation and not cause a bigger one, but she could not stop herself.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked, still standing.

"Not a drop since last night. Look, clearly you want to speak to me so can we get on with it? I'm really tired and would like to go to bed now." she said dismissively.

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. "That could be arranged."

"I meant alone" she said coldly.

"Of course. I really think we need to talk about today, not just avoid it till it goes away."

"I know, I'm sorry. It was childish behavior on my part."

Lucius smiled and sat down again. "Yes it was, however, you're still young and you were forced to grow up before your time. Not just you but your whole generation.Why did you run last night?"

"Lucius, why did you kiss me, not just last night but the other night as well?"

"I'm quite sure you kissed me back, and very well I might add."

She blushed. "I did but I should not have. I mean, like I said; what if Kyra had seen us? She's only four and she would get ideas."

"She would not get ideas if you were kissing someone else?" he interrupted.

"That would be different. I mean, you're her father, and when it ended she would be left in the middle.It would become hard for us to be – to work together in parenting. And for the record, I have never let her meet anyone I dated."

Lucius picked up his cup the wrong way; not by the ear but instead wrapping his hand around the entire cup itself. After taking a sip and putting it back down, he said "You never put yourself before her, do you?"

"I can't. The second I decided to keep her, I knew I would not be the first one I could think of for a very long time. This is not my time, it's hers."

"Ginevra, I am her father, and you have to allow me to take some of the burden off of you. I'm sorry to say you're right about Kyra and what she would think. I won't try that again if there's a chance she could see it."

Ginny relaxed at the 'I won't try that again', missing the last part. "Thank you, but I'm very tired. I'm going up to bed now."

The next couple of days passed without incident.Each night was the same. Lucius would arrive home, they would all have dinner together, then Ginny would entertain herself while Lucius and Kyra spent time together. Once Kyra was in bed, they would talk. Ginny knew she would miss this once they were home but she enjoyed it for the time being. This evening was different; they had a fire down on the beach. When Lucius took Kyra up to bed, Ginny stayed down by the fire. She even added more wood. Lucius returned and they talked some more. Finally, he asked "Have you enjoyed your time here?"

She leaned back, using her arms to hold herself up. "How could I not? And I think the only thing that will get Kyra to go back home is the fact that magic can be done and talked about. She really loves spending so much time with you."

Lucius could not help but notice Ginny's body; the perfectly proportioned hip to waist to bust ratio, the flat stomach, the curve of the chest. "Speaking of that, I wanted to thank you for coming, and bringing her. I wanted to do something to thank you so I made an appointment for you tomorrow afternoon at a spa."

"Lucius, you did not have to do that for me." she said looking at him.

"Yes I did. We will be leaving the day after tomorrow. I thought you would enjoy this. When are you going to stop this and just accept that I have done something nice? Just relax and enjoy tomorrow."

She looked at him very seriously. "Fine. I give up. I will, okay?"

About noon the next day, Paul the limo driver took Ginny to a very trendy spa. Lucius had been home all day; he and Kyra had their own plans. At the spa Ginny had the works; manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, a mud bath, and then her hair and makeup were done. She knew at that point that something was up because her hair was done in a beautiful updo. She was then led back to a dressing room where there was a large white box with a note standing up on it. She picked up the note and opened it:

_Ginevra,_

_Relax and enjoy tonight... _

She opened the box to find a black dress, shoes, and all the necessary undergarments.. She took her time dressing. The dress was a gown and it was made of silk and it clung to most of her body. As she did one last check of the box, she found a large jewelry box. She opened it and found another note:

_Not one word._

After removing the note, she found a stunning platinum and emerald set. The emeralds were square cut and the platinum was as thick as the size of the emeralds, and of course there were matching earrings. She carefully put them on and picked up her purse along with the jewelry box and headed out. Once she exited the spa, she saw the limo there and Lucius standing in front of the door. He was in a tuxedo and his hair was loose. He had a single red rose in his hand.


	9. The moment that changed things

Chapter nine

Ginny could not help smiling at Lucius; he looked incredibly hot. However, before leaving, she promised herself she would not protest at all, and just enjoy what was to come. After all, he knew how she felt about them. "Hello," she said as he reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a small kiss there.

"I hope you enjoyed your afternoon because it's only the beginning," he said. After dropping her hand, he handed her the rose. "This is for you; however, it cannot begin to compare to you beauty."

As she took it, she said, "Thank you." She softly smelled the flower's sweet fragrance.

He smiled. "We must get going." He helped her into the limo, then went to the other side of the car and got in beside her. She noticed that there were two glasses of champagne there but chose to say nothing. As the car pulled into traffic, Lucius reached for the glasses and handed one to her. "We will be having dinner at a private dining room, then heading out for an evening of live theater, I was told the play we will be seeing is the best the Muggle world has to offer. It's called 'Phantom of the Opera.' He took a sip from his glass.

"That sounds lovely, but I must ask; how did you know I would like the gown?" she wondered, taking her own sip of the sweet beverage.

He smiled again. "I'm sure you are well aware of the effect money has on people. I simply telephoned the store where you got your dress for the other evening. The saleswoman was most willing to help with your sizes and tastes. The idea of another profitable sale was more than enough for her."

"Oh. Well, thank you." She paused. "Kyra was not upset to not be coming then?" she inquired.

He gave a small frown. "She was somewhat disappointed. However, I explained that sometimes we all have to deal with disappointment. And I also promised that you would tell her all about the evening tomorrow." They reached the dining room where they were having dinner. Paul helped Ginny out of the limo and Lucius followed. Once he was out, he took Ginny's hand, placing it in the crook of his arm.

As they entered, Ginny noticed the decor; the room was softly lit, mostly with candles, the walls were painted a light beige, and the hardwood floor was a couple of shades darker than the walls. There was a table set for two in the middle of the room. Ginny could hear soft classical music playing as they were led to the table. Lucius was a perfect gentleman,.holding Ginny's chair out for her, then taking his seat. They were served wine, followed by a four course meal which Ginny was told was all preselected by Lucius.

As they ate, Lucius told Ginny about his and Kyra's day. After breakfast, which they all had together, he and Kyra had gone riding again, and she was more confident this time. They then did some shopping of their own. Lucius confessed to spoiling Kyra and Ginny decided to just allow it. She knew he could not have gone too far; after all, they were only shopping in Muggle shops. Once they finished dinner they hurried off to the theater. When they arrived, Ginny noticed that the building was very impressive. As they entered the lobby, which was filled with people, Ginny was a little worried about being over- dressed. However, that was clearly not the case. She was the best dressed woman there, but she felt that that was only due to the quality of her dress. They were directed to their seats, which were of course the best in the house.

From the moment the music started, Ginny was transfixed. At times Lucius watched her to make sure she was still breathing. During the intermission, Ginny hurried off to the restroom. On her way back to Lucius, Ginny ran into George from the other evening. "Ginevra!"

She smiled and walked over to him."George! How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you enjoying the show?"

"It's amazing! I'm really loving it."

"Is this your first time seeing it, then?"

"Yes, it is."At that moment, the lights flickered, signaling that the intermission was over.

George smiled at her. "It was lovely to talk to you. I hope to see you again."

"Thank you. Take care" she said.

"Same to you." George said. And they both returned to their seats.

As the show continued, Ginny sat motionless, enjoying every second of it. Once the play ended, everyone rose; Lucius included. Ginny however remained sitting, spellbound. Lucius waited a moment, then he said, "Ginevra." She looked up at him.

"That was amazing," she said quietly, still in awe of what she had just watched.

He held out his hand,."Yes. How about we go for a drink somewhere and talk about it?" She took his hand and he again led her out to the limo.

"I ran in to Greoge from the other night, during the break." Ginny said as they exited the building.

"Oh really, what did he say?" Lucius asked as they reached the limo. Paul opened the door for her. Lucius once again walked around and got in the other side.

"Not much/ We only spoke very briefly, just about the show."

Lucius smiled. "I am pleased you enjoyed the show."

"I did. Thank you for taking me. This has been a lovely evening. But I'd rather not go for drinks. I hope you don't mind." Ginny said.

"Not at all. Whatever you want is fine with me."

"Thanks," she said as he reached out and grabbed the two glasses which Paul must have been ordered to refill. "That was incredible. I mean – well-- all of it. I never realized just how powerful music could be."

"There are some things that Muggles can do that are very powerful."

Ginny laughed out loud at him. "I won't tell anyone you said that."

"See that you don't," he said dryly.

"Because if I did, they would never believe me." she continued.

"You hardly moved at the theater; you must truly have enjoyed it."

She looked at him keenly. "I don't honestly know if enjoy is the right word."

"What do you mean, Ginevra?"

"Well, I found some parallels to Tom and my first year." He looked at her with encouragement in his eyes so she would continue. "Someone whom only she knew about. When he took her, I mean it's not exactly the same, but-"

"I don't know exactly what happened down there."

"Well, no one knows the whole story," she stated.

He looked at her very intently. "What do you mean?"

"Just that I know what happened until I lost consciousness. Harry knows what happened once he arrived, but we never talked about it."

"Dumbledore never asked you what happened?" Lucius' eyes were a cold grey; it amazed her how they could change depending on how he felt.

"Dumbledore was more concerned with the events before I was taken and with what happened while Harry was in the Chamber."

He raised an eyebrow thinking. "That's odd," he said.

"After the final battle, Harry told us about how Dumbledore showed him other people's memories of Tom, in his sixth year. I found it odd that he never asked me about my time in the Chamber. The part of Tom that was there was still a teen, and looking back, he made errors." shesaid in an almost sad way.

"What kind of errors?" Lucius asked.

"Like most boys that age, he was boastful. He said things to me thinking I would be dead and would never repeat them. They did not make much sense at the time to me."

"Why do you say that?"

"If I had been older, or knew about Horcruxes... The things he was saying would have made more sense."

"And if Dumbledore had looked at your memories, he could have had more insight into what Voldemort was thinking. Well, we can't all be perfect."

"Oh. I think we need a second car for you ego." she teased. He sneered at her as she laughed at him.

"So you never, ever spoke to anyone about what happened down there?"

"Deeply, no." she said, a tlittle sad.

"Not even your parents?" Lucius persisted.

"Dad was too busy being mad at you for giving me the Diary."

"And your mother?"

Ginny had a faraway look in her eyes. "Mum was happy I was okay; she worried about the dreams I had. But she was also being proud of Harry and Ron's small part in it. And then that summer, Sirius Black escaped and they became worried that Harry, Ron and Hermione would try to go after him."

"You don't seem upset by all of that." He had at some point turned his body completely towards her.

"What would the point be? I mean, it's not going to change the past. Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps it all happened so I would be ready to be a parent to Kyra," she said with a smile.

"Kyra could not be luckier to have you as her mother."

"Why thank you." he had moved even closer towards her.

"Ginevra, can I ask you something?" She nodded. "You talk about your first few years of school, but you never seem willing to talk about the years during Voldemort's return. Do you not trust me, or perhaps even yourself, or are you afraid of letting something slip about the Order?" He looked at her very intently.

She laughed at that. "It's not that. To be honest, as a Death Eater you probably knew more about what was going on with the Order than I did. Harry would get to know some stuff and the adults would allow Ron and Hermione to hear it too because Harry would just tell them right away anyway. But I was kept in the dark. The most I could let slip would be the cleaning secrets of the Order and my only fear there is that that information would put you to sleep. I was very sad when Sirius died. He saw what was happening to me, and by having to always stay at headquarters in a house he hated, he understood.. I was there but wasn't. He was a menber but could not do anything. We shared a bond. I know Harry was really upset by his death but he and I had developed a bond."

"You have some feelings of resentment towards Potter?"

"A little, I guess. Understand, I had a big crush on him at first, then once I got over it he began to have feelings for me. We dated in my fifth year and after Dumbledore passed away, he ended things to keep me from being hurt by Tom."

"It's good that he did, because Voldemort would have used you against Potter."

"He still tried, however I would not let him."

"You did not tell them about any of it until after the final battle?"

"No one ever gave me credit for keeping secret what Voldemort made you do to me..Severus and McGonagall knew but I would not let them tell anyone. I was lucky she forgot when my birthday was; otherwise she would have told mum and dad."

"You never stop amazing me, Ginevra." He pulled her towards him to kiss her. It started as a warm gentle kiss, growing with need and desire. Ginny worked up the strength to pull away. As she did, she saw a terrifying sight through Lucius' window; the Dark Mark floating over Lucius' house.

"Oh my God!!" she screamed. Lucius turned to see what she was reacting to.

"Shit! And we can't Apparate from here; the space is too confined!" he growled in frustration to Ginny.

"Get to the house, fast!" he screamed to the driver.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I must apologize before you even start. I know I can't write action to save my soul, however for this story to continue in the direction I have planned, this must happen. Please be understanding and not too disappointed with the way I go about this. I feel at this time you must read it to not lose yourself in what's going on.**

Chapter Ten

Before the limo even came to a complete stop, both Ginny and Lucius were out of the car. As they made their way to the door, which was open, Lucius ordered, "Ginevra, stay here."

"There's no way I'm staying here!" Ginny said as she ran in the door. She was only ahead of him because of the side of the car she had been on. Ginny stopped dead once she was in the front door, though. There on the floor lay Mrs. Cadbury. Lucius walked over to her, knelt down, and quickly checked her.

As he rose up, he said, "It looks like Avada Kedavra."

Ginny turned on her heel, heading for the stairs, yelling "Kyra!! Kyra!!"

Lucius, who must have been following her, grabbed her arm. "Ginevra, you must think! You don't even have your wand!" Her eyes darted to his, as he continued. "We don't know what we could be walking in on. Stay behind me." They made their way up the rest of the stairs. As they reached Kyra's door, which also was open, they could see no one in the room. Kyra had clearly been in bed before things happened as the covers were flipped back and on the indent of her pillow was a note. Ginny tried to push past Lucius but he held her back and flicked his wand. A second later, Ginny's wand came flying towards them; he grabbed it and handed it to her. Then they entered the room and moved towards the bed. Lucius snatched up the note and read it aloud; 'Lucius Malfoy, you betrayed those whom you called friends, taking them away from their families. It's time for you to pay. I have taken that which you find most dear from you, and I so enjoy practicing the Unforgiveables!' He handed the note to Ginny and ripped open his left sleeve With his wand tip he touched the Dark Mark that was there, saying at the same time "Severus Snape." The Mark glowed red for a minute. He then looked at Ginny. "We're going to need help to find her."

"I'll call home; Harry will help." Ginny said quickly. Lucius looked at her with instant contempt. "Oh, put it aside, please. Both you and Severus were Death Eaters, there's a Muggle woman dead, and our daughter is missing!" She headed for the closest phone because the house was not connected to the Floo network. She had to phone George at the store, and have him call Harry. Harry arrived before Severus, probably due to the fact that Severus had to leave the grounds of Hogwarts first. Harry was able to Apparate directly to the front door. He came inside and found Ginny sitting on Kyra's bed, holding her favorite doll. He looked at Lucius with suspicion in his eyes.

"What happened here?" Harry asked.

"I took Ginevra out for the evening. Upon returning, we found the Dark Mark over the house," Lucius explained in an annoyed tone.

"Lucius?" came Snape's voice from downstairs.

Lucius moved towards the bedroom door, calling down,"Up here Severus. I'll continue once Snape's up here." Lucius said. Seconds later Snape walked in the room, took one look at Ginny, then at Lucius ignoring Harry. Lucius told them what had happened, then Harry asked to see the note. Ginny sat watching the men. Snape looked at her again, and walked over towards her.

"Ginny, are you okay?" he asked.

"They're going to use the Unforgiveables on her! She's just a baby!" she blurted. She finally allowed the tears that had been stinging her eyes to fall.

Harry looked up from the letter. "There's nothing magical about the note itself. You don't maybe have some coded terminology that we don't know about that might give us some clue? That I don't see?" Harry looked at the two former Death Eaters.

"No," Lucius replied.

"Luna was going to call the London office and have someone inform the U.S. Auror's office. More help should be here shortly. Have you had any threats since you've been out?" Harry asked as they heard voices from downstairs.

"Yeah, I heard about the Dark Mark but never saw it before." said an unfamiliar voice.

"That must be the help." Snape said.

"I'll go talk to them," Harry said and turned to leave with the note still in hand.

"Potter," Snape said quietly. Harry turned toward Severus. "Could I see the note?" Harry walked back, handing it to Snape. Severus read it over a few times, deep in thought, then said as Harry was about to leave, "I know who wrote this." All eyes in the room were now on him. " Gregory Goyle."

"Are you sure?" came the three other voices in the room.

"Quite. I saw more than my fair share of his writing to know it. I'm positive. And from what I know of him, I think he would take her back to England; somewhere he knows very well. He always found safety in what he was familiar with. We will find them there."

Harry nodded at Snape. "I'm going to talk to the Aurors downstairs. Ginny, Mr Malfoy, perhaps you should change. Draco knew him very well, it seemed. Do you think he would be willing to help?"

Lucius seemed surprised at this."Of course, he will."

"Good. Let's try to leave this room exactly as it is. Professor Snape, would you mind joining me?"

Five minutes later, Ginny caught up with Lucius at the top of the stairs. She didn't speak; she was too afraid of saying something she would later regret. "She'll be fine," he assured her as he took her hand and they headed to the main floor.

Once they got down to the main floor they joined Harry, Snape and the others. Harry looked at Lucius. "Mr Malfoy, have you spoken to Draco?"

"Yes and he is most willing to help. He also says he never heard Gregory saying anything about America, but he does have a few ideas as to where Goyle could be." said Lucius.

"Good. The American Aurors will finish up here. Let's head back to England and find them. Ginny, are you going to be okay?" asked Harry.

Ginny only nodded, still holding Kyra's doll. "I suggest we head to Malfoy Manor," Lucius offered..

"And I would say we go to the Burrow. George has by now informed the whole family; I'm sure their all waiting for word." stated Harry.

This time Snape spoke up. "I, too, would recommend Malfoy Manor as well, Potter. There are resources there that could be helpful."

Harry did not agree. Lucius spoke this time to Ginny, "You can let your family know where we are and they can join you at the Manor. There's more room there and the staff can help out." She nodded. A couple of minutes later, the four of them Apparated to just outside of the Manor. Once they got into the house, Lucius told Ginny to use the fireplace in the front hall to call the Burrow.

Ginny watched the men head for the living room, then she Floo'd to the Burrow. "Mum, Dad?"

"Ginny dear, what's going on?" Her mother's face came into view, followed closely by her father.

"They think Gregory Goyle took her. Mum, Dad, I'm at Malfoy Manor with Harry and the others. Lucius told me to have you all come here. Could you please come?" Ginny pleaded.

"Of course honey, we'll be there right away," said Arthur. Ginny closed the connection and seconds later her father stepped out of the fireplace.

At the sight of him, Ginny finally broke down. Her father simply wrapped his arms around her. As Molly stepped out of the fireplace, Ginny sobbed, "Daddy, we had gone out to dinner and the theater, and we were on our way home when I saw the Mark over the house. The note said he's going to practice the Unforgivable Curses on her!" It was hard to understand her through the sobs.

Molly said, "The rest of the family are going to stay at the Burrow and wait for word there."

"Where are Harry and the others?" Arthur asked.

"The living room," Ginny said. Arthur, who had been to the Manor on a few raids, pulled Ginny along toward the living room with Molly following close behind. They entered the room to find the most unlikely scene: Harry Potter standing with Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, and Lucius Malfoy, talking in low voices about where Goyle could be. Lucius looked over at Ginny; her father's arms still around her. She had calmed down some; however, tears could be seen escaping from her eyes. Lucius and Arthur simply nodded towards each other.

Draco was saying, "Let me think. I remember him saying something..., I wasn't paying much attention to him at the time. Give me a second." He moved away from the others and paced.

Harry continued, "Has anyone spoken with him? I'm wondering about his mental state."

Arthur spoke this time. "He works at the Mniistry; I think in the Magical Transportation department."

He looked at Arthur. "Good. Someone at work should be able to let us know how he is. Mr. Malfoy, could I use your Floo?" Harry asked. Lucius nodded. Harry called his office for them to send someone to talk to Goyle's co-workers.

Draco finally returned to the others. "He once told me about some hunting lodge his father used to take him to. He said he loved it because there were alot of places to hide in and around the building, hidden rooms inside and stuff like that." Harry had returned to the group as well. "It was up near Glenprosem Village." He looked at his father and Snape to see if either of them knew of the place. Neither of them seemed to know about it.

However Snape spoke up, "It sounds like the right type of place, if we knew where it was."

An hour later, thanks to Arthur and Harry's connections at the Ministry, the location of the village was determined. Other Aurors were notified to be ready to move in on the location. They decided only a small number should go until Kyra was safe; no one seemed willing to say or think anything that would imply anything different.

Ginny, of course, wanted to go. "I'm coming too," she said defiantly.

"No! It could be dangerous," came from the men.

She looked at them with frustration. "She's my baby, and I know I've proven myself in the past."

Moly spoke this time, softly to Ginny, "I'm sure they all know you're more than capable, but Ginny, this is going to need cool heads. You're far too emotional right now and besides, if Kyra's not okay, she's going to need you to be unharmed. Ginny, trust me. Stay back here with us. Keep yourself safe so you can help her after." Ginny looked at her mother. "Ginny, I know it's hard to sit back and not be there but she's going to need you after."

Ginny finally agreed. "Fine. I'll stay." Lucius and the others relaxed a little. As they walked with the unlikely quartet to the door, Ginny spoke again. " I want to go to the Burrow." Molly and Arthur nodded. Once they stepped outside, Lucius came up to Ginny.

Placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes., he said, "I promise I will bring her back to you."

She wrapped her arms around him and said into his chest, "See that you do."

He hugged her tightly, "I promise you." He then kissed the side of her head before letting go.

Molly placed a hand on her husband's arm to keep him from reacting. "We'll contact you at the Burrow once he have something to tell you," Harry said, as Lucius moved away from Ginny. Then he, Draco, Snape, and Harry Disapparated, leaving Ginny with her parents.

"Let's head back to the Burrow; there's a house full waiting for word." Molly said, who had remained calm all this time.

When they arrived back at the Weasley house, almost everyone was there; Bill and Fleur with Victorie, Charlie, Percy and his girlfriend Audrey, George and a very pregnant Angelina, and Luna. Ron and Hermione were still on their honeymoon and unreachable. Fleur, who had long ago (since her wedding) calmed down quite a bit and now was loved by all the Weasleys, had taken over Molly's place in the kitchen cooking. As soon as Ginny entered the kitchen, Fleur's arms were around her in a tight hug. Within seconds, Ginny, Arthur and Molly were surrounded by family all asking questions at the same time. Ginny slowly recounted what had taken place. Once she finished, they began the long wait. Once in awhile someone would ask something. After the first hour of waiting, Ginny went up to the bathroom. On the way back, she stopped at her old room, which Kyra now slept in when she spent the night. Ginny walked over to the bed and picked up the pillow. She hugged it to her closely, inhaling the smell of her daughter's hair which was still there. Ginny sank onto the bed and began sobbing.

After a few minutes, there was a soft knock on the door. As she looked up, she had to smile at Bill. Without a word, he walked across the room to Ginny and hugged her. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

"I don't remember ever being this scared," she said looking up at him. He had always been her favorite brother, and her feelings towards him grew greatly when Ron had left for his first year at Hogwarts. Bill had made a point of coming home more often, and always had time for her.

"It's horrible what our children can do to us, isn't it?" He let go of her and was now sitting on the bed.

She only nodded. "Mum got Charlie talking to Dad. She said that he was pretty upset when you and Lucius hugged."

"Can we not talk about this right now?"

"Gin, I have no intention of giving you any kind of hard time about this right now. I just wanted to say remember what he did in the past to you and know as a parent, in light of how you're feeling about this Goyle, how you would feel if twelve years from now Kyra was hugging him. Just remember what you're feeling and be understanding of dad when he explodes." She looked up at him waiting for more. "That's all I have to say about it. Let's head back downstairs." said Bill.

They all waited for another couple of hours. Finally, a Patronus of a doe entered the house. Snape's voice filled the room. "Meet us at St. Mungo's."

**A/N Two more things **

**one- I have a poll on my profile page please vote!!**

**two- please if you have not review do so. I will not post the next chapter until I have at least ten reviews for this chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Ginny instantly Floo'd to St. Mungo's and ran up to the main desk. "My daughter was just brought in!"

Ginny then noticed down the hall Snape placing Kyra on a stretcher. She took off towards them. Her first view of Kyra scared her. The little girl's body was lifeless, her eyes were closed and her arms had several red welts on the wrists and upper arms. She was still in her nightgown. Severus held her back.

"Ginevra, let the Healer check her out. I think she's just under a sleeping potion." he said. Ginny watched the Healer and aides took the stretcher into a room a couple of doors down.

"I want to stay with her." She began following them.

"Fine, but let them do their work. I'm going to talk with the rest of your family who are arriving now."

Ginny watched as the Healers looked over her daughter. Once they checked everything out, the Healer finally said to Ginny as the aides left the room, "She's just under a very strong sleeping potion. I could wake her but I believe that it's better if we just allow it to run its' course. Other than that, she just has some rope burns. My aide will apply something for them," the Healer reassured Ginny. She nodded.

The aide returned as the Healer left. She began applying a yellowish-orange salve to Kyra's arms. There was a knock on the door and Molly popped her head in. "Ginny, can I come in?"

"Of course Mum," Ginny said. Molly entered the room and Ginny told her what the Healer had said. "Have you seen Lucius?"

The aide spoke before Molly could, "I'm sure he will be ready to go to Azkaban very soon."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny.

"I'm sure the Aurors will be taking him to Azkaban," the aide repeated.

Ginny looked at Molly, who did not know what the aide was talking about either. "Mum, will you stay here while I find out what's going on?"

"Yes dear, I won't leave her," Moly assured her daughter.

Ginny left the room looking for the rest of her family and Severus. She finally asked another aide where the waiting room was. Once she entered, she found her father, Severus, and everyone who was ar the Burrow there with the exception of Angelina and the kids. After telling them how Kyra was, she asked, "Severus, what happened? The aide said something about Lucius going to Azkaban!"

Severus nodded. "Ginny, you just had your first experience with what people like myself, Lucius and Draco have had to deal with on a regular basis. Something happens and if we were anywhere around, because of our past, we're automatically to blame. Lucius is not going anywhere any time soon."

"What happened then?" Ginny asked. "Where is he and Draco?"

"Draco is with Lucius. When we finally got to where Goyle was holding Kyra in that lodge, he had her tied up and floating a couple of feet in the air. Once he saw us, he began ranting and raving and then he made it clear he was about to cast the Killing Curse on Kyra. Draco, Potter and I all cast different disarming curses and shielding charms. Lucius jumped in front of Kyra to take the curse himself and he was hit."

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Ginny.

"He's not dead, but he's not doing very good. He was unconscious instantly," Severus finished

Molly entered the room holding a still sleeping Kyra. "Ginny, they said we can take her home now."

Ginny took Kyra from her mother and sat down. "I'm not leaving until I hear about Lucius," she stated. After thinking for a few seconds, she added, "Where's Draco?"

"I saw him down the hall," Bill said.

"Take me to him, please," Ginny said, getting up. She repositioned Kyra in her arms. Bill nodded and led the way. They found Draco leaning against a wall staring at the door across from himself. "Draco, have you heard anything?"

Draco shook his head, then looked at Kyra in Ginny's arms. "No, not yet. Is she okay?" he asked as he gently touched Kyra's cheek.

"Yes, she's fine. Do you mind if we wait with you?"

"No, please do," he said.

Bill had found a chair for Ginny. "I'll wait with the rest of the family," he said and then took off back down the hall.

"Ginny, I'm really sorry about this." Draco's eyes had returned to the door across the hall.

"Draco, it's okay; you did not do this," Ginny said.

They sat quiet for awhile. "He's all I have left, I don't have any other family," Draco finally said.

"Draco, that's not true! You have Kyra, and if you want, me as well. And I'm sure that if you really wanted, Harry would let you see Teddy Lupin. But Lucius has to be fine."

It was at that moment the door across the hall opened and a Healer came up to them. "Mr. Malfoy, your father was hit with a very powerful curse, the Killing Curse, and as you know it was altered. He's alive but we can't get any reaction. I'm afraid if he does not wake up in the next day or so, he might never. I'm going to have him moved to a more comfortable room; then you can see him. Give us about ten minutes. I'm sorry I can't tell you more."

Draco nodded in understanding, then asked, "Who do I speak to about a private room?"

"I already ordered one. Go grab a cup of tea and maybe something to eat. An aide will find you once he's been moved," the Healer offered.

Draco looked at Ginny and helped her get up with Kyra. Ginny spoke first "I'm going to let everyone know what's going on." Draco nodded.

"I'm going to find a loo, then I'll come find you." he said. He turned and headed down the hall away from the waiting room.

Ginny headed towards the waiting room. She was surprised to see her parents, Severus, and Fleur still there. She explained what the Healer had said.

"Well Ginny, let's get you and Kyra home," Molly recommended.

"I'm not leaving him here," Ginny said as Draco entered the room.

"Ginny, come on! Kyra has been through alot and so have you. You need some rest. You need to go home and get some sleep," Molly tried to convince Ginny.

Ginny, who still had Kyra in her arms, stated "I'm not leaving." Arthur remained quiet but he began to pace the room.

Fleur chose to speak; "Ginny, I understand 'ow you must be feeling, 'owever, Kyra needs to be in bed."

"Maybe your parents could take Kyra to their place and when she wakes up someone could come and get you," Draco said in a soft voice as if he was not sure how Ginny's family might take to him getting involved.

Fleur spoke, "Dat makes sense."

Ginny looked at Kyra. "I don't want to be away from her. And Lucius will want to see her when he wakes up."

"It could be a long time, though. She'll be fine at the Burrow. Someone will sit with her the whole time dear. Come on, you can't hold her the whole day." Molly implored her daughter.

Ginny finally gave in. "Okay, as long as someone comes to get me as soon as she wakes up." Arthur came over and took Kyra from Ginny.

"We'll head home now," Molly said. Then looking at Draco, she added "He's a strong man. I'm sure he'll be fine, dear."

Draco looked taken aback, then simply nodded. Ginny kissed Kyra once more before her family left. Once the room cleared it was just Severus, Ginny and Draco. "I'm sorry, but I have to get back to the school. Let me know what's happening." He walked towards the door but Ginny stopped him by wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you for your help," Ginny said. Snape simply smiled at her, then left.

Draco and Ginny stood looking at each other. Finally he asked. "Is there something going on between you and my father?"

Ginny looked at him as if his face might hold the answer. "Yes, no... I don't know."

Draco smirked at her. "You care about him though," he stated.

"Yes."

"Maybe even love him, don't you?" he asked.

At that moment an aide entered the room. "Mr. Malfoy?" Draco nodded. "I'll show you to your father's room." Draco and Ginny followed the young woman. They went up to the fourth floor for Spell Damage. Once they reached the room, the aide informed Ginny, "I'm sorry; only immediate family, miss. You can go up to the fifth floor; there's a tearoom there."

Draco grabbed Ginny's hand. "She is family," he said as he pulled her into the room.

"Thanks." She gave him a smile. They entered the room and there in the bed lay Lucius Malfoy. His skin looked gray, but otherwise, he looked like he was sleeping. Ginny thought that for the first time in her life she was not seeing him in tailored clothing. And with the color of his skin, the dark colors he usually wore were much better than this light-colored hospital gown he was now in. They sat down in the chairs in the room and began the long wait. Draco went into greater detail as to what had happened at the lodge, then they both fell quiet. Once in awhile, one of them would say something to the other. Atfer an hour or so Draco went to get them both tea. Once he left, Ginny moved closer to Lucius, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking his hand. "Lucius, I can't thank you enough for what you did today. And I want you to know Kyra's fine, thanks to you." She held his hand close to her chest. "Please wake up!" She could not help the tears from falling. She did not even hear Draco return.

Draco stood there watching Ginny with his father. He could see that she was in love with Lucius, even if she did not realize it as of yet. He began to feel like an intruder. He finally made his presence known to Ginny. After taking the tea he brought, she sat back down in the chair she previously occupied.

They sat there for at least three more hours. Then Draco asked, "Ginny, I know in a couple of hours or so Kyra will be waking and you'll need to go be with her, for a while at least. Would you mind if I went back to the Manor? I need a shower and a change of clothes. I'll be back before you have to go."

Ginny replied, still looking at Lucius, "No, of course not. I'll have someone call you if anything changes."

With that, Draco left and Ginny moved her chair right up to the bed and again took Lucius' hand. An aide came to check on Lucius. At Ginny's request, the aide left and returned with a blanket for her. Ginny wrapped it around herself. After awhile, Ginny rested her head on the bed. She fell asleep still holding Lucius' hand. It had been a long day for Ginny; she had been up for over twenty-six hours straight. She did not wake when the aide and Healer checked on Lucius again. She didn't even move when Lucius began making small movements himself.

When Lucius fully woke up, he tried to remember what had happened. He realized that he was in the hospital. He had to remain fairly still, but he noticed something heavy on his legs. He looked down to see Ginny's face; she was clearly asleep and he realized she was holding his hand. She looked so peaceful. He thought for a long time before making up his mind. He closed his eyes for a minute, then felt Ginny stirring. As the stirring changed to purposeful movement, he kept his eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep. He could hear her shifting. He slowly began to act as if he was just waking up himself.

Ginny saw and felt him move and a wave of relief washed over her. When he opened his eyes, Ginny's face broke into a smile. "You're awake! I'm so happy.! Lucius' face remained cold. "Kyra's fine thanks to you! She's with my parents."

A trace of a smile played across his face. It slowly grew larger and he started chuckling, which turned into laughter. "This went better than planned," he grinned.

"What are you laughing at, Lucius?" Ginny asked, clearly confused.

"You stupid girl! My plan was to get you to sleep with me of your own free will, but this is even better! Arthur Weasley's only daughter went and fell in love with me!" he said, his voice cold and full of malice.

"Lucius?" Ginny looked worried now.

"Tell me, has your father lost it over this?" Ginny did not reply; tears were building in her eyes. "I've done better than I set out to do! Get out and don't return, you pathetic little blood traitor."he sneered.

"Why are you saying this, Lucius? What about Kyra?" Ginny stammered.

This time he yelled at her. "You really are as stupid as I thought the first time I saw you! I don't care about you or your little brat! I can't stand the sight of you! Get the hell out!" Ginny moved away from the bed. She tried to speak but did not have the words to express herself. The farther away from the bed she got the faster she began to move. As she reached the door, her tears were falling freely. She pulled the door open wide euough to slip through it. Before it closed, she heard his cruel laughter.

She ran down the hall towards the elevator. Before she reached it, Draco came around the corner. He could see the look on her face and grabbed her, thinking the worst. She could not see him through the tears. "Ginny, what happened?"

She realized who had her. "This was all just some joke to get me into bed! Let go of me!" she cried.

Draco was surprised at this. "What are you talking about?" He pulled her over to a couple of chairs that were in the hall.

"He said"-sob-"that it was"-sob-"about"-sob, sob-"He"-sob- "does not"-sob-"care about"-sob-"Kyra!"

Draco pulled her close. "Ginny, I had no idea he could do something like this. I'm sorry," he said honestly. He looked up to see Neville Longbottom coming down the hall. "Longbottom, come here!" he called out. Ginny continued to cry; Draco's arm still around her shoulder.

Neville looked up. Seeing Draco with his arm around Ginny caused him to rush over. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Longbottom, can you see that Ginny gets to the Burrow? Someone there can explain most of it to you. I want to get to the bottom of this." Draco explained.

Neville took Ginny from Draco. "Sure. Come on Ginny. I'll take you home." As Neville headed towards the lift with Ginny, Draco headed to his father's room.

**Thanks everyone who reviewed. Please vote in my poll, and review again!!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Neville Longbottom returned Ginny to the Burrow where Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, and the children Victorie and Teddy were still. He explained how he ran into Ginny and Draco while he was at the hospital visiting his parents. Bill explained to him about the kidnapping and rescue. After Neville left and Ginny calmed down, she explained what had taken place in Lucius' room. Arthur paced angrily; he was ready to go to the hospital and finish Lucius off. Bill pulled him aside. "Dad, I understand how you must be feeling, but try and calm down and think before you act. This does not add up. A man like Lucius Malfoy does not try to take a Killing Curse for someone he does not care about. And whether we like it or not, Ginny does seem to have strong feelings towards him, and he is still Kyra's father. If you do anything to him you'll only upset both Ginny and Kyra. How would we ever explain to Kyra that she no longer has a father or a grandfather because Grandpa killed her daddy."

"William, you would see this differently if it was Victorie," Arthur said, his face still red with anger.

"Dad, if he really meant what Ginny said he said, then Kyra will soon find out what kind of man her father really is. Trust me; you won't have to do anything. He will fall from Kyra's and Ginny's good graces soon enough. Be the bigger man. And don't give him the satisfaction of it."

At the same time in the kitchen, Molly and Fleur were calming Ginny down. "Ginny, you've been through alot in the last day. I'm going to give you some dreamless sleep potion, and I want you to drink it all. You should wake up about the same time as Kyra." Molly said, and handed Ginny a potion, which Ginny looked doubtfully at. "Why don't you take it up with you to Percy's old room. That way you won't have to worry about Kyra waking you, if she does wake before you."

Ginny, with as hurt as she was feeling, needed to be close to Kyra. She said, "No, I'll be in my old room with Kyra."

That evening, after dinner, Ginny took Kyra back home. Kyra was lucky to not have any memories of what had happened. Once Ginny got Kyra to bed that night, Ginny sat back trying to figure out how she could have been so stupid to have fallen for Lucius. And just when did it happen to her? Shortly thereafter, the wards around her home announced a visitor. When Ginny opened the door, she was surprised to see Draco. He had Ginny and Kyra's trunks with him. "Ginny, can I come in?" he asked.

She looked at him, then slowly stepped out of the way so he could enter the house. "Where do you want these?"

"Just right there is fine," she pointed to the hall entrance.

"The American Aurors had your stuff packed up and sent over. Let me know if you're missing anything. Ginny, I can only imagine what you're thinking and when I think back, I don't blame you for a second. "

"Draco, just don't," she said, as she moved farther from the door.

"Please let me finish. Can I sit down?" he asked. She finally nodded in frustration.

"Look, I know that in school I was always a complete arse towards you and did everything I could to make you miserable. But I have no idea what father is doing this time. He would not say a word to me about it. I really don't even know what he said to you, but clearly he really upset you. I just hope you will allow me to see Kyra once in a while."

Ginny agreed and Draco left. Ginny looked at the trunks and decided it was just too much to deal with tonight. She went to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of white wine and a glass. She just wanted to drown her sorrows. By the time she was half-way through the bottle, the wards around the house went off again. She really didn't want to talk to anyone, so she ignored the pounding on her door. At least until she heard Severus' voice. "Ginny, I know you're in there; open up before I blast the door open!"  
Ginny rose and walked over to the door, opened it and walked back to her seat on the couch, flopping down very ungracefully. Without saying a word, Severus entered the house, eyed her, then eyed the bottle of wine that sat open on the table. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really," she said, taking a long drink of her wine.

"You really should not drink alone Ginny," Severus stated dryly.

"So go grab a glass and help yourself; then I won't be drinking alone," she said just as dryly.

Severus looked at the normally responsible person in front of him. "I don't think I will. I talked to Draco this evening. He said something big happened between you and Lucius, so I'm here for you, my young friend."

Ginny got up and went into the kitchen, returning shortly with a glass for Severus and a second bottle of wine. After placing both on the table next to the others, she sat down. "I was so stupid, Severus. I went and fell for him," she moaned. Snape could see the tears building in her eyes. " I trusted him just like I trusted Tom, like the fool little girl I am."

Severus sighed, "Ginevra -"

"And what's worse is this time it was not just me, but I put Kyra out there too." She was now crying, but she took another sip of her wine.

"Perhaps if you started with what happened today, it might help."

Ginny told him what occured when Lucius woke up; all the mean, hurtful things Lucius had said and the evil laughter. "How could I have been so dumb? I knew who he was, and instead of listening to my family and running as far from him as I could, I instead fall for the bastard and throw Kyra to the lions! Or the snakes, in this case."

Snape sat there going over in his mind what Ginny had said. Parts of it did not make sense. He also thought about how much Lucius despised Arthur Weasley, but this was a little too much just to get under someone's skin. Still, this was the man who gave a child Volemort's diary. Maybe he did not know Lucius as well as he believed. He felt guilty he had encouraged Ginny to let Lucius into her and Kyra's lives.

"What am I going to tell Kyra when she asks about him?" Ginny wondered. She had stopped trying to wipe away the tears from her face.

Snape pulled her close in a tight hug. "Ginny, everything will work out for the best." She was now sobbing into his chest. Snape stayed with Ginny for a long time untill she calmed down. When he left, he did not head back to Hogwarts; instead he headed to St Mungo's. As it was quite late, there were only a handful of people around. He needed to hear this from Lucius himself. If he did not like what he heard, then he would keep his promise that he had made to Ginny when he told her to give Lucius a chance. His wand was already in hand as he walked the halls. Once he reached Lucius' room, he did not bother to knock; he simply stormed in. Lucius was sitting up in bed, reading a book. He put it down upon Snape's entrance. "Severus, being around children so much is having a bad effect on you. You must remember to knock before entering a room," he said.

"Tell me: was it good manners to use the Dark Mark in a pathetic attempt to bed a woman?" Snape growled as he closed in on Lucius.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Lucius replied.

"Tell me: does that include feeding someone the idea of kidnapping Kyra, all in some sick attempt to bed Ginny?"

"Don't fool with me. It's not like you didn't try to get her in your own bed permanently! Yes, she told me of your offer to marry her," Lucius said hotly.

Snape chose to pretend he did not hear that. "We've both done horrible things in our lives, but putting your own child in that kind of danger..." he continued.

Lucius interjected, "I never put her in danger; everything I have done has been to keep them safe."

It was at that moment Severus Snape realized it. Shaking his head, he spoke with even more malice than he ever used towards Harry Potter; "You complete fool. Twenty years of your life you spent in a loveless marriage. You finally find love and you throw it away."

Lucius looked at him. "I did what I had to do. I could not risk them getting hurt."

"I did not think you were so stupid. Ginny's been in danger since her poor excuse for a brother befriended Potter. Hell, you were the first to attempt to do her harm."

"I know what I did. I don't need you reminding me." Lucius now stood up, trying to intimidate Snape.

Snape did not back down. "Don't you see? She's always been in danger, and always will be. With you in her life, you could protect her far more than her family could."

"It's easy to tell someone that, but you--"

Severus cut him off. "I came here tonight to kill you for hurting her, but now I think it's better if you have to suffer, knowing that one day she'll be in someone else's arms. That she'll be giving someone else her love. Knowing it could have been yours if you had just acted differently. Believe me, I know from experience there's no better hell!" Snape turned and walked out of the room.

The next day, Harry came over to update Ginny on the case against Gregory Goyle. Goyle did have issues with the fact that Lucius was now a free man and living his life, when his own father would spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, thanks to Lucius' testimony. When Goyle heard that Lucius had a child, he waited until an opportunity arose. Working in the Magical Transportation department, he found out about the international Apparation that Lucius and Ginny made with Kyra. He then had a friend who worked in the department that monitors underage wizardy keep tabs on the Apparation destination. When he commented on the one time use of magic at the L.A. estate, a home that was not registered to a wizarding family, Goyle was easily able to find out where they were.

They were sitting at Ginny's kitchen table; Kyra was at Molly's. Harry pondered, "What I can't figure out is why Lucius did not have any wards on the estate."

"Well, if we all did not know about the place and he ever needed somewhere to hide, as long as he did not use magic no one would ever look for him over there." Ginny said.

"If that's true, a man like him would not have made the mistake of using magic there," he thought out loud.

"He didn't; I did. I brought out my Pensieve and used a Concealing Charm on it. I used magic. It was because of me that he found us; that he took her!" Ginny beagn to cry.

Harry moved over to comfort her, he knelt next to her chair and rubbed her back as he spoke, "No, Ginny, Goyle would have just done it when you got back. He would have just waited for the opportunity to arise. At some point, whether it was with you, or Lucius, or one of the family, someone would have given him that chance. I think he may have had help or something because I know he's not that smart on his own; even Draco said that much. But he admits to everything, so he will have his wand snapped and be spending a very long time with his father in Azkaban. The family told me about what happened with Lucius. How are you doing?"

"I feel a little stupid but I'll be fine."

"Ginny, tell me you did not really fall for him. Did you?" Ginny only looked at Harry with tears in her eyes. "Why?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know I felt that way about him until I saw him lying in that hospital bed."

"Ginny you can do so much better than him. But I know how it feels to have your heart broken. The hurting will pass. I know you're stronger than how you feel right now. It will get better, I know. I speak from experience. My heart was once broken by the most beautiful little red head," Ginny blushed as Harry continued. "and I just hope the man who ends up with her knows just how lucky he is."

Later that day Ginny unpacked hers and Kyra's things. As she reached the bottom of her trunk, she found the box that contained the necklace and earrings Lucius had given her. She opened the box and admired the gorgeous set. They were truly breathtaking. But in light of what Lucius had said, she could not keep them; that would be like telling him she could be bought.

So the next day, while on Daigon Alley, Ginny made a quick stop at Malfoy Holdings. She reached the outer office before Lucius' office. His assistant was working on something. He looked up at Ginny and smiled. "How can I help you, Ms. Weasley?" he inquired. They had spoken through the Floo a couple of times when Lucius had a meeting that ran late.

"Rainer, I hope you could see that Lucius gets this back." She pulled the velvet black box out of her purse and handed it to him.

As he took it he explained, "Mr. Malfoy is out of the office but I will see he gets it as soon as he returns."

"Thank you. Have a good day." Ginny turned and left.

Later Lucius returned. "Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Weasley stopped by earlier to drop something off. I left it on your desk," the young man informed Lucius.

Lucius entered the office and his eyes fell on the black box. He walked over and picked it up. Opening it, he could smell Ginny, which made him think back to that night. She had looked perfect. She was perfect. 'Of course Ginevra returned the set,' he thought. 'She was a lady; to keep it would imply otherwise.' He ran a finger along the necklace. 'At least she and Kyra were safe now.' Lucius held the box close to his heart, remembering how Ginevra felt in his arms.

Ginny spent the next couple of days feeling sorry for herself, then slowly tried to get back to the job of living. But she was crying herself to sleep each night. When Kyra asked about Lucius, Ginny just told her that her father was very busy. She did not want to break her daughter's heart. Ginny hoped that Kyra could just be kept busy until she stopped asking. Ginny was finishing with the dishes when the wards around the house went off. She went to the door and was surprised to see Harry there. He smelled of Firewhiskey. "Ginny, can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course, Harry." He entered a little wobbly. Ginny guided him to the sofa.

"I'll get you some coffee," Ginny said and headed to the kitchen to make some strong coffee. After returning to the living room, she set a tray down, poured Harry a cup, and finally sat down.

"What's going on, Harry?" she asked, looking at him concerned.

"Luna and I had a fight," he said, looking at Ginny with a little difficulty.

"Was I the reason for the fight?" she asked.

"No, it was about work," he replied.

"She does not like the fact that you're always putting yourself in danger, does she?"

"No. She does not understand."

"That Harry Potter grew up only knowing what it was like to have to be concerned that his life could come to an end at any moment. That you're addicted to the adrenaline high."

"You know me so well, Ginny. Why aren't we together?" he asked and reached out, tucking some of Ginny's hair behind her ear. "I never stopped loving you, you know."

"Oh Harry, I know, but it just would not work. Look, I know you don't want to go back to Luna and your place tonight, so I'll get you a pillow and blanket. You can sleep on the sofa, and you'll feel better in the morning."

Once Ginny got Harry to lie down, he fell asleep quite quickly. Ginny then Floo'd Luna to let her know where Harry was. She promised they would talk in the morning after Harry left.

The next morning Kyra was very happy to see her uncle Harry over. Harry was not quite as agreeable due to his hangover, which Ginny had little sympathy for. He still had paperwork to finish in regard to Kyra's kidnapping, so after he left for the Auror's office, Ginny called Luna over. Luna brought Teddy with her. While Teddy and Kyra played, Ginny and Luna were able to talk with only a few distractions.

"Ginny, how are you doing?" Luna asked as they had tea. She had heard from Harry and the rest of the family what had happened.

"I won't lie; I'm hurting. But I'm not going to be defined by a man's actions anymore. I spent too many years as the girl who had done Voldemort's bidding. I'm not going to become the woman who was stupid enough to fall in love with her family's worst enemy and was left broken hearted." Ginny was putting on a good front. "So Harry told me his side of what happened but I want the real story."

"He just won't slow down at work. He stays late most of the time and he takes unnecessary risks. At this point, I'm scared I'll be a widow before we even get married. And why did he come here? Why does he always come to you, Ginny? I think he loves you more than me."

Ginny looked at her friend. "Luna, can I go to your place for a minute?"

Luna looked a little confused, but nodded. Ginny got up and walked out her front door and Apparated to Luna and Harry's place. In the living room on a bookshelf, she found what she was looking for. After grabbing it, she headed back to her place. "Ginny, what are you doing with Harry's photo album?"

"Luna, I'm about to let you know why I never got back together with Harry." She opened the album to a page that held a photo of Lily, Harry's mother.. "What do you see?"

Luna glanced. "Harry's mother."

"Look harder; really look." Ginny moved so her face was right above the photo album.

Luna slowly looked up, then back down again. "Ginny, I never saw it before! By god, you could be twins!"

"Yeah, I don't think Harry has ever realized it. Deep down, I think he loves me but he will never be in love with me, not really. But you, Luna, since you began working on his biography, well I can tell. It's in the way he looks at you; like he's about to eat you with his eyes. He does love you, but both of you have to work past what you two think he and I had. And he, if you remember, never even looked twice at me until I blossomed, until I really started looking like her. Subconsciously, he's trying to replace her with me. And for the record, I only love him as a brother; nothing more. I promise."

Luna and Harry made up later that day, and Luna began to have new confidence in her relationship. Ginny spent time musing about the fact that no matter what or who you were, your problems always seemed bigger than the next guy's. When Ron and Hermione returned from their honeymoon, they both felt really bad about the fact that they weren't around when Kyra was kidnapped. Hermione had insisted that no one know where they were while on honeymoon. She was afraid that Harry would get some clue on a big case and let Ron know and the two of them would take off on her. She never thought that there might be a family emergency that they could miss.

Ginny began to have a normal life and a normal routine again. Most mornings, Ginny would take Kyra to the Burrow where Molly schooled her, Victorie, and Teddy in reading, writing and math. Molly claimed that children learn better with other children around. The truth of the matter was that she was suffering from empty nest syndrome, and teaching the kids made her feel needed. Now that there were no children to support, they were very comfortable with just one income. This arrangement also gave Ginny and Fleur time to themselves, and Harry felt funny about asking Luna to stay home with Teddy, only because her writing career was going so good.

After Ginny leaves the Burrow, she would head to the joke shop, picking up the bank deposits, invoices and anything else she needed. After stopping at the bank to make the deposits, she would head back to her place. She was completely unaware that most days, someone was watching her while she was on Diagon Alley.

**A/N to all my regular reviews thank you so very much. But I will not post the next chapter until I receive at least five frist time reviews!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As October began, the weather turned cooler. People rushed about Diagon Alley, but still it was a little quieter now that most of the older kids were off at school. There were still the mothers with young children, and on some mornings, young couples in the cafes, the old ladies that complain about the cost of everything being too high, and the old men who complain about what the Ministry is doing and when the Ministry does what they said the day before still say it's wrong. Life was going on.

On this morning, Ginny was having a much harder time than most. Kyra had a temper tantrum about not seeing Lucius. Ginny still had not found a way to explain that Lucius wanted nothing to do with them. She thought about contacting Draco and asking him if he could spend some time with Kyra, but decided to wait until he contacted her instead. Kyra would just have to readjust to the fact that her uncles and grandfather were the main men in her life again. She would however invite Severus for dinner this weekend.

As Ginny left the shop this morning, she was greeted by a face she had not seen in a long time. "Ginny Weasley! I don't think I've seen such a beauty in a long time!" Ginny turned to see Justin Finch-Fletchley. She gave him a warm smile.

"Justin, how are you doing?" she exclaimed, then gave him a small hug.

"I'm good. How about yourself?" he asked.

"I've been busy, but I'm good. What have you been up to?"

"I'm working as a prosecutor for the Ministry. Why don't we go for a coffee to catch up?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Sure, I could use a coffee. Lead the way," she said as they turned and headed down the alley. Justin gently put his hand on the small of her back.

Like most mornings, someone stood just out of sight, watching. This morning however, their thoughts were interrupted. "Maybe she's not as in love with you as you thought. Don't look so glum, Lucius, He's from a very good family. I heard he was on the Eton list before he got his letter from Hogwarts." Severus Snape said as he stood next to Lucius Malfoy. Years of experience meant Snape knew exactly what to say to get a reaction from him.

Lucius did not comment; he continued to watch as Ginny turned her head toward Justin, giving him a small smile and then laughing at something he said.

"He's very forgiving. He does not seem to hold against Ginny the fact that she set the Basilisk on him at all," Snape paused, waiting for a reaction. After receiving none, he continued. "They say that little girls, when they grow up, seek a man who reminds them of the main male role model in their lives. From what I know of Justin, he would be someone Ginny's family would most welcome." Snape twisted the knife a little more.

"Don't you have some students to terrify?" Lucius asked, clearly irritated.

Snape smiled to himself. "Yes, it is about time. I'm heading back now."

Ginny had a very good time with Justin He even asked her for a date. He did not even seem put off by the fact that she had a child. Even though Ginny knew she was in love with Lucius, he had said he did not want her. She knew she had to move on, and it was only one date. It would do her good to get out; to enjoy the attention of a different man, so Ginny accepted. She had decided the best way to get over Lucius was to get busy; have a life beyond Kyra. Ginny still had her convictions, but it could not hurt to date and have some fun.

For their date, Justin took Ginny into Muggle London to a pottery place where they made a couple of bowls. They then went for a tour of the Tower of London, followed by dinner on Diagon Alley. As they left the restaurant, Justin stopped Ginny and took the opportunity to kiss her. The kiss was nice; not overly long but it did linger.

Lucius was walking up to the restaurant Draco had asked him to for dinner. Draco had complained that Lucius had been in a foul mood and thought that talking it out might help. Lucius stopped as soon as he saw Ginny's distinctive red hair; her back was facing towards him but he could tell what was going on. She did not see him, but he heard her agree to go out with Justin again. After she said her goodbyes to Justin, she Apparated to the Burrow to pick up Kyra. She had tea with her parents, then they headed home. Once she got Kyra in bed. Ginny changed into her pajamas, which were a two piece satin powder blue set; the kind of pajamas that made you feel sexy. It was only ten at night and Ginny was not ready for bed just yet. She curled up on her sofa to read a book. She had been reading for about fifteen minutes when the wards around the house went off. She got up and headed for the door. As she opened it she was surprizsd to see Lucius. She tried to think of something to say, but he spoke first. "Can I talk to you?"

Ginny looked down the hall towards Kyra's room,."Fine, give me a minute." She closed the door, headed down the hall, closed Kyra's bedroom door, and grabbed a robe, and her wand. She would not fix her hair, she decided and as she stepped out the front door, she noted he was standing on the path at the bottom of the steps. Before descending the steps, she asked "What do you want?"

"I wanted to speak to you about the type of men you're exposing Kyra to," Lucius said. She looked at him. He could see the anger in her eyes. She guessed he or maybe Draco saw her with Justin tonight."Let's sit down." He motioned to a stone bench that was in the garden.

She did not know why she followed him, but she did. "I don't think after what you said at the hospital, you have the right to say anything about who or what I expose Kyra to. In fact the only person I made a mistake in exposing Kyra to is you"

He sat down, giving her the power position. "You're right, I don't have the right. But I want the right."

"Lucius, I'm sorry but I can't let you walk in and out of her life."

"I can't allow you to expose her to that type of person."

"Lucius-"

"Ginevra, I don't want you seeing that kind of person. Ginevra, I mean it," he persisted.

"Lucius, I really don't think you have the right to say anything!" He stood up and in one movement, grabbed her, pulled her close and kissed her. She fought back this time. "Lucius! If Kyra was to see us..."

"She's just going to have to get used to seeing me kiss you because I have no intention of never touching my wife if our child could see it," he said as he lowered his lips back down on hers.

She pulled away again. "Your wife? What the hell are you talking about?"

"That's the only way I can ensure that you don't continue to see people like that boy this evening."

"And just why would I marry you after the horrible things you said?" She looked directly into his eyes, which were steel gray.

Lucius pulled her down to the bench and sat facing her. "Ginevra, I'm a powerful man. I've never liked showing any weakness, but when I saw Kyra tied up, floating in the air; well, I've only once before felt so weak. Suddenly, it became clear to me that my feelings for you and Kyra were my biggest weakness. Once I knew Kyra was safe, I believed that the farther away from me and my heart you were, the safer you both would be from those who would want to hurt me," he explained.

"Lucius, you can't..."

"Please allow me to finish. I said all those cruel things to try to make you hate me; it seemed kinder than to just walk away. I know I was wrong, and if you can't forgive me, I will have to accept it. But Ginevra, seeing you in someone else's arms tonight was the worst thing I ever had to witness,.I can't begin to imagine spending the rest of my life knowing someone else was holding you, making love to you, being loved by you. I have enough life experience to know that if I don't try to be with you I will regret it the rest of my life. Look, it won't be easy. We view things differently, but I know that I love you, and I need to have you by my side until the day I die."

This time, Ginny had tears in her eyes, but she closed the gap between her and Lucius, kissing him. After a minute, she pulled away. "How do I know that you're telling the truth now and you weren't in the hospital?"

"I can't take back what I did to you, and I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. But I am sorry." he said and kissed her again. She realized that he was telling the truth; after all, she had first- hand experience of the lengths he would go to protect his family. Ginny was smart euough to know Malfoys don't normally apologize. This time, their kiss was interrupted by Kyra.

"Daddy!" Ginny tried to pull away from him, but he held her close."Daddy!" She ran across the grass towards them. Once she reached them, he finally let go of Ginny and dropped to his knees, hugging Kyra tightly. Half a minute later, he released her, but only far enough to see her face. He just looked at her, glassy-eyed. "Daddy, don't cry. I missed you too!" He hugged her again, this time looking up at Ginny. She smiled at him.

"Is that a yes?" His eyebrow rose. She nodded her head. "Kyra, how would you feel if your mummy and I got married?"

"Yippeeee!."

"Okay, but you have to go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Kyra nodded and headed back to the house. Lucius pulled Ginny close again and kissed her.

After the door shut, Ginny asked, "Do you want to come in?"

"In view of some of the things I said to you at the hospital, I think it would be best if I don't. Besides, if I come in tonight, I won't be leaving. I think if the first time we make love is on our wedding night, you might be more trusting of me."

Ginny was a little disappointed that Lucius did not come in the night before. The next morning, she woke up, showered, did her hair, her make up, and got dressed all luckily before Kyra got up. She made breakfast as Kyra got dressed. While the little girl ate, she started talking about telling Molly and anyone else who was at the Burrow about Mummy and Daddy getting married. Ginny began to panic, however that was put on hold as the wards went off. She opened the door to see Lucius; she blushed a little at seeing him. "I did say I would be back today."

She moved away from the door to let him in. "I know, I just was not expecting you til this afternoon. Good morning." Lucius, who had stepped in, pulled her close and kissed her. The kiss was cut short.

"Daddy, good morning! Are you going to stay this morning?" Kyra asked. He let go of Ginny and picked up Kyra.

"If your mummy will let me." They both looked at Ginny.

"Please Mummy, can Daddy stay?"

Ginny looked at him and smiled. "Can you?" she asked.

"I wanted to begin making things up to you both today. I found it very lonely in bed last night and I don't want to have to wait very long for our wedding." He eyed her hungrily.

"Why, Daddy?"

He started tickling Kyra. "Because I miss all the noise you make in the morning."

Between the squeals and laughter, Kyra said, "I don't make noise in the morning!"

"You don't, do you?" he questioned and his tickling increased as well as her laughter.

"Lucius, I can't take her to Mum's until I talk to the whole family. Could you watch her while I do my errands and make arrangements to talk to everyone?"

He looked at her. "Do you want me to join you when we tell them?"

"No, I think for now it might be best if I do this on my own. They're all just a little upset with you right now."

He nodded, but Kyra spoke up, "Uncle Harry said he wanted five minutes alone with you, daddy."

Lucius looked at Kyra. "When did he say that princess?"

"The morning after he sleeped here." Kyra replied. Lucius gave Ginny a very questioning look.

Ginny could tell Lucius was thinking the worst. "Kyra, why don't you tell your father about how you found Uncle Harry here."

Kyra started laughing again. "I woke up before Mummy and Uncle Harry and I came to the living room and sat on Uncle Harry's head! He said he had a headache. Do you think it was because I sat on him?" she asked with the innocence only a child can have.

"He showed up drunk after a row with Luna. I let him sleep on the sofa," Ginny finished.

Lucius put Kyra down. "I want you to go finish your breakfast, Kyra. I'll be in after I speak to your mother." After Kyra disappeared into the kitchen, he turned to Ginny. "Was that all it was?"

"Yes, Lucius, I promise. I can tell you I've only ever been with one man in my life, and as of our wedding night, the number will still be the same."

Lucius looked surprised. "I did not realize that," he paused. "Ginevra, tell me, what else has your family been saying about me recently?"

"Lucius, they were all pretty upset by what happened. But with the exception of a couple of comments that were mostly over Kyra's head, they have been careful to not say much in front of her. To be honest, I couldn't find a way to tell her what happened. She thinks you've just been really busy lately."

He shook his head, "After everything I said, you did not say anything against me."

"I could not break her heart. I just kept hoping that she would slowly get used to you not being around again."

Lucius wrapped his arms around her. "Have I told you that I love you?"

Ginny looked up at him and smiled, "Not today, but I like hearing it, because I love you too." He brought his lips down on her. Just as he deepened the kiss...

"Daddy, you said you were coming!" Kyra had returned. Lucius made a low growl, and Ginny laughed.

"I love her too, but we're going on our honeymoon alone."

Ginny laughed harder and said, "I have to ask Mum how she and Dad ever found the time to have seven of us."

"I have NO desire to know anything about your parents' sex lives!" Lucius stated, horrified.

"Look, give me a couple of hours and then we can really talk." Ginny said reassuringly.

Before Ginny left, she Floo'd her mother to tell her Kyra would not be over that morning. Ginny left the house feeling happier than she had been in a long time.

**A/N In case your wondering this story is not over yet. I have four more chapters writen already and see at leastFive more that need to be written, Think of this as the end of part one. Thw next chapter will be posted as soon as my husband can finsh betaing it.**

** I love my regular reviewers your fantastic. If you have never review please do it, it means so much to me. Tell me what you most like in the story so far. **

**Also I have a poll on my profile page about what story I should write nexted.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Ginny Apparated first over to Shell Cottage. Fleur invited her in and made tea for the two of them. The two sat together but it was Fleur who spoke first, "So tell, you seem to be in a very good mood. 'ow did your date last night go?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably, "I had a very nice time, but I needed to talk to you about what happened after my date." Fleur's eyes grew wide with interest. "Lucius stopped by."

"What 'appened? Kyra did not see you two fight?"

"No, I would not say that. He, I guess, saw me on my date with Justin; you know Justin's a Muggle born. Lucius was not happy about me seeing him."

"We, Bill and I, knew dat all was not az it seemed. A man like 'im does not risk 'is life for something as stupid like sex."

"He told me he wants me to be his wife."

"Congratulations! I'm so 'appy for you! Den, you forgave 'im, didn't you?" Fleur smiled. Ginny nodded sheepishly. "You agreed to marry 'im, right?"

"Yes, but now I have to tell everyone. You said you would be there for me, and I was hoping you might be there when I tell them. Just for support, you know."

"I understand why you will need it. Ginny, I love you as much as Gabrielle. 'ow could I not be dere for you. When do you want to do dis?"

"I think tomorrow. I don't know how long I can keep Kyra quiet. And I only want to do it once."

"What if dey can't get over it?"

Ginny got a sad look on her face. "I don't know. I love them, but I-I love him too. And Kyra has a right to her father."

"Well, I will be 'ere for you and I'm sure de same goes for Bill. I'll tell him tonight. Even if 'e takes it poorly, 'e will 'ave calmed down by dinner tomorow night," assured Fleur.

Ginny finished her errands, which included the bank deposit from the Joke shop. Then she headed back to her house. Finding Lucius and Kyra having a tea party when she arrived, Lucius seemed very happy to see Ginny. "We have a number of questions that Kyra wants answers to," he explained as he greeted her with a kiss.

She smiled. "I can imgaine. Kyra," Kyra, who was busy talking to one of her dolls, looked up. "Daddy and I need to talk; do you mind if he comes with me to the kitchen?"

Kyra happily nodded, then continued playing as Ginny and Lucius entered the kitchen. He warned her; "I don't think you realize just how much she paid attention to the plans for your brother's wedding. I did not want to tell her anything until we talked."

"I guessed she would be like that. I'm just worried about telling my family."

"I can understand why they might not take it well. If you change your mind about this... well, I would not like it but I want you to be happy."

She was leaning against the counter. "I've been happier today than in a long time. I just hope they love me enough to care more about my happiness than about who I'm marrying."

"Then when do you want to get married?" he asked as he moved closer to her, putting his arms around her. He looked down into her eyes.

"I kind of always liked the idea of an outside ceremony. But a Christmas wedding would be nice, too." She smiled at him.

He looked thoughtfully at her, "Christmas seems reasonable. If we had an outdoor ceremony, we would have to rush to get everything done, before it gets too cold. Or wait until spring, and I don't want to wait that long. We could hold the whole wedding at the Manor."

Ginny nodded. She knew that her family might not be happy about this, but in this monent, she also knew they just might disown her. So the Manor made sense. Just then, the wards went off. "Lucius, go into Kyra's room with her while I get rid of whoever this is. I only want to have to go through telling my family once." He simply kissed her on the forehead and then headed for Kyra's room. Once her door closed, Ginny opened the front door, surprised to see Draco standing there. "Hello, Draco."

"Hello, Ginny. I'm sorry for stopping by unannounced." Ginny indicated for him to come in. She led him into the living room and he continued, "How are you doing?"

She smiled at him. "I'm really good, Draco." He seemed surprised at this.

"Oh, well, that's something. Look, I was at the office this morning," It was at that moment that Lucius entered the living room but because Draco's back was to the entrance, he did not see his father. "And this had – well, it was sitting on Father's secretary's desk." Draco reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a package.

"Tell me Draco," Draco spun around to see Lucius standing there.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Draco asked, placing the package on the table.

"I was discussing wedding plans with Ginevra," Lucius said and stepped around Draco to place his arm around Ginny.

Draco smiled at her, "Well then, maybe you'll be in a better mood than you have been of late." Ginny glanced up at Lucius and saw in his face that, yes, he had been in a very bad mood recently. She gave him a smile as Draco continued. "Congratulations, Ginny!" He took her hands and pulled her closer, kissing her cheek.

"You're okay with the fact that there will be a Weasley in the family?" she asked.

"I don't really see the difference; I mean we're already related because of Kyra, and if Father's going to be in a better mood, all the better."

"As I was saying, Draco, do you always take things off of Rainer's desk?" Lucius reached down and picked up the package. He read the label, then handed it to Ginny. It read:

_Ms.Ginevra Weasley_

_C/O Mr. Lucius Malfoy_

_Malfoy Holdings_

_London, England_

And the return label read:

_George Lucas_

_Skywalker Ranch_

_California, U.S.A._

"I was just trying to help," Draco said.

"Thank you, Draco," Ginny replied, then she turned to Lucius. "What's Kyra doing?"

"She was asleep when I got to her room."

"I take it, Ginny, your family does not know about your upcoming wedding then?" Draco asked.

"Not yet; I plan on telling them all tomorrow."

"I'm sure that will be fun. Care to sell tickets? I'd buy the whole lot." he teased.

Ginny shook her head. "I'm glad to see you haven't changed completely, ferret."

Draco blushed at the memory, but took it as good-natured teasing. "On that note, I have to be going. I have a date to get ready for tonight. Father, Ginny, congratulations." Draco then left.

Lucius had followed Draco to the door. Ginny picked up the package and began to open it. Inside she found a note and a CD recording of Phantom of the Opera. The note read:

_Ms Weasley,_

_I noted just how moved you seemed to be at the performance._

_I thought you might enjoy this. I hope to see you the next time Lucius is_

_in town. You seemed to have a good effect on him. _

_Take care,_

_George_

Lucius looked at her reading the note. "Ginevra, what is it?" he asked.

"George just sent me a CD of Phantom."

"He did, did he?" Lucius asked coldly as he came closer.

"Lucius, stop that! He's just being nice. See? Read the note yourself." She handed him the note. After he read it, she continued; "Not everyone is a cradle robber like yourself."

Lucius pulled her into his arms. "A cradle robber, am I?" he began kissing her neck.

"Oh, I don't mind; there's something to be said for experience." She laughed at him. Then she got serious. "Lucius, are you always this--"

"I don't like to share if that's what you mean." Ginny looked at him and then at the clock.

Pulling away, she exclaimed, "I completely forgot, I have to get dinner going!" and headed off to the kitchen

Lucius followed. "I don't think it's the end of the world if dinner is late," he offered.

"But I have company coming," she explained. "Severus is coming for dinner tonight. Will you stay, too? We could share our news with him."

"Did he tell you he came to the hospital to kill me after I hurt you."

Ginny's eyes grew big. "He said if you ever hurt me or Kyra he would, but you seem quite alive. He must be slipping."

"He decided that seeing you move on with someone else would be a much better punishment," Lucius explained the fact that he was still breathing.

"He always was good at finding the worst punishment.What do you think?"

He watched as she began pulling things out of the cupboards, "Ginevra, I'll call a house elf over to do the cooking for you."

Ginny stopped dead. "No you won't. Look, this is the kind of thing I was talking about when I said we're from two different worlds. You see cooking as a chore; for me to take the time and make someone a meal is just one way of saying 'I care about you.' I enjoy it. Yes, it's work, but if you're not willing to work at something, then what's the point?"

Lucius came close to her, placing a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. "I have every intention of working very hard to make up for hurting you." She smiled at him, then allowed him to kiss her.

Dinner with Severus went well. He seemed truly happy for them, and at least Ginny was not marrying Potter. But even he worried about Ginny telling her family. The next day, Lucius came and took Kyra out when Ginny was ready to go to the Burrow. Lucius was being very secretive about what they were going to do, but Kyra seemed excited. So the three went their separate ways. Ginny made a point of arriving at the Burrow a little late.

Everyone was already at the Burrow when she arrived. Fleur greeted Ginny with a hug and whispered, "Bill's okay wit' tings. Do it soon." Ginny weakly smiled.

"Would you gather the guys from outside?" she asked her sister-in-law.

Fleur headed out and Ginny entered the kitchen, where her mother, Angelina, Luna and Hermione were sitting around the table chatting. "Hello," Ginny said. No one asked at first about Kyra, thinking she was playing with Victorie and Teddy.

As the men began entering the kitchen, all looking hungry, Ginny wondered who would still have an appetite after her news. Ginny stood next to the counter as everyone found a place. It seemed like a good idea to tell everyone at the same time, but now this large group of thirteen seemed terrifying. Molly spoke up, "Okay everyone, Ginny has something to tell us. Ginny dear, go ahead."

Ginny cleared her throat. "Well, um, thanks for coming. I don't really know where to begin. I want you all to know how much I love each and every one of you."

"Oh, thanks Gin. We love you too," George said.

"Thanks I hope you still say that after what I have to say. Please just let me get through this: then you can all say whatever you want to. The night before last, I had a visitor come by. It was Lucius, and he explained that the reason he said that stuff at the hospital was to hurt me. He realized when he woke up how I felt about him. He needed to make me hate him so that when he walked out of mine and Kyra's lives, it would not hurt me as much."

"He did not just hurt you! What about Kyra?" Hermione exclaimed..

"Please let me finish. He believed that if I hated him that it would not hurt me so much when he left us. Then no one would ever try to hurt Kyra or me to get even with him for things he's done in the past."

"Are you going to trust him to be around Kyra again?" Charlie asked.

"He's just going to hurt you again," Ron said.

No, Ron, he isn't. I'm sure of that. I would not have let him come around if I wasn't sure.. Anyway, I'm just going to say it. Lucius and I are going to get married. At Christmas time." For a second, Ginny swore that she would have heard a pin drop. Then the shit hit the fan.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you are not to marry that man!!" Molly shouted, her face red with anger.

"That's just fucking great! You know, the Dark Lord really fucked your head up in your first year. You're really crazy!!" Ron cried out.

Which was followed by, "Ronald, watch you tongue!"

"No, Ginny." came from Harry.

"Ginny, he's a Death Eater. You can't," Hermione spoke softly.

Charlie sat quietly but looked mad. Percy said, "Ginny, only if you're sure. I must insist you be careful, though." Ginny knew he was only thinking of how he could benefit from this.

"Ginny, I know you would not do anything you weren't sure of. I can't wait," George smiled and nodded. All the wives and girlfriends remained quiet.

But what Ginny noticed most was how her father turned red and then quietly rose form the table and walked out the back door. She wanted to go after him, but first she had to deal with this mob. "Yes, I am marrying him. I love him and he loves me. Percy, George, thank you for your support. Ron, Charlie, Harry, Hermione, and Mum, I love all of you, but I am doing this with or without your support. I would hope that you all would care more about my happiness than who it is, or what the person who makes me happy has done. Mum, this may sound cruel, but if you can't accept this, it will change things between us and we will never be as close as we have been. As much as it may hurt me, you all are my past, and I hope, part of my future. But I know Lucius is my future, and if I have to, I will leave my past behind me. I'm going to talk to dad; you all can make up your mind while I speak to him." Ginny walked out of the kitchen and looked around for her father. She did not see him, but she heard noise coming from the shed. She walked out to to the shed, and slowly opened the door to see Arthur destroying many of his Muggle things. "Daddy, please don't do that."

He looked up at her. "Why, Ginny? Why him, of all people?"

It hurt Ginny to see her father breaking his beloved Muggle artifacts. "Would you please sit with me?" she asked. She sat on an old wooden box and waited for Arthur to join her.As he did, she smiled up at her father. "When I was little, I always believed I would marry you. I don't know what I thought would happen to mum, but I wanted to marry you. As I got older, I realized I wanted to marry someone like you." She took her dad's hands in hers. "You always did everything you could to keep us safe and you loved us all very much. We were what you worried about most. Everything you did was, in your mind, for our well being. On those things, Lucius is just like you, dad."

"Ginny, our families have been at war with each other for years."

"I remember, after that day in Flourish and Blotts, asking you about why you and he thought so differently. You told me people like him, Death Eaters, believed that Purebloods were better than anyone else, and that they did not understand that if you love someone, it does not matter what they are; all that really matters is who they are. That love, real love ,does not know Pureblood or Muggle born; it just happens. Daddy, love also does not know family feuds. I love him, and I want to be happy with him. I'm not asking you to be happy about this; I'm only asking that you accept it and continue to love me. At most, be civil towards him. Please."

"I don't want to lose my only daughter, so I will try because I love you.," he said and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Daddy, I will not have you give me away at the wedding. I won't have you do something that I know you don't want to do, but I do want you there."

"Ginny, when did you grow up so much?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her father. "I love you, daddy."

"Me too, Sweet Pea. But if he ever hurts you, I will kill him with my bare hands. " He paused. "Everyone in there is pretty upset as well," he stated the obvious.

"Yes, but I was most worried about you."

"I don't want to lose my only little girl."

Ginny rose and smiled, "You're taking this much better than I thought you would."

He looked at her guiltily, "I've had time to get used to the idea. I knew this was coming since the day Kyra went missing. I could see it coming. Now let's go see if the rest of them have calmed down."

**A/N – To anyone who is disappointed about the brief over view of them telling Snape. I'm truly sorry but I was really stuck and did not want to delay the story for that.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

When Ginny and her father entered the kitchen again, things were much quieter. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the living room talking and everyone else, girlfriends included, were still sitting at the kitchen table. Luna, Angelina, and Audrey exchanged looks but remained in their seats, knowing that this was a very personal family issue. Molly came over to Ginny and placed her arms around her, saying, "I don't like this but I don't want to lose you or Kyra. I'll find a way to deal with it."

"Thanks, Mum." Ginny replied.

"Don't be thanking me. I just see this as the better way. I don't trust him at all, Ginny, and when this all falls apart, you're going to need us," Molly retorted.

Ginny knew this would be the feeling that most of her family would have, even in a best case scenario. "I get it, Mum."

Ginny took the seat next to George as Molly called everyone to the table to eat. Once everyone tucked in, George turned towards her. "Ginny, I've already lost one sibling, so I'm not turning my back on any one of you guys. And If you're wrong in the end, which you hardly ever are about people, I'll have someone to test all the products on that Fred and I thought could be irreversibly harmful," he teased.

The trio did not speak to Ginny for the rest of the evening. While Ron not talking to her did not bother her, Ginny was a little hurt that Hermione would not. And Harry; well, Ginny realized that even if she was not in love with him, she must have liked the fact that he had a little thing for her, because it hurt a lot more than Ron's silence. Before Ginny left, Luna came to her. "Ginny, I don't care what Harry says. I was your friend before his, and I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Luna." Ginny hugged the blond tightly. "I need to get back to the house soon. And I wanted to speak to Fleur. Excuse me." Ginny made her way to find Fleur, who was on the back porch with Bill enjoying a quiet moment alone. "Hey, can I talk to you two?"

Bill looked up from his wife's face. "Of course. I always have time for my favorite sister."

"I'm your only sister. I think your beautiful wife is affecting your brain, big brother." He shrugged, and Ginny continued, "I want to thank you for your support."

"Of course we would be dere for you." Fleur replied.

"Fleur, other than talk about a possible date, we really have not made any plans, but I wanted to ask you; would you be my Matron of Honor?"

"Oh Ginny! I'm 'onored, but are you sure?" Fleur reached out and hugged Ginny.

"Yes. You were supporting me in this before I even knew there was anything to support. Thank you, Fleur," Ginny said, smiling.

By the time Ginny returned home, she knew Kyra would be asleep. She was surprised to see how dark the house was, but as she entered, she realized that her living room was lit with candles and a fire. Lucius was sitting on the sofa, waiting for her. There was soft music playing. She had to smile at the sight. "Ginevra, how did it go?" Lucius asked as he got up to greet her. Kissing and hugging her, he could feel how tense her muscles were. "Not well, I take it?"

Ginny gave him a half smile, "I won't lie, it was hard but it went better than I had hoped."

"Come sit with me on the sofa; I'll rub your shoulders and you can tell me about it," he said soothingly.

He gave her a glass of white wine, then worked on her tight muscles as she told him about how it went. "I must admit, I half expected someone arriving here tonight to try and kill me," he said once she finished.

"Mainly, my father?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I know about the years of disagreement between our families but from what I have heard, this feud seems to have gotten worse with you and Dad. Why?"

He gave a chuckle. "You would not believe me if I told you," he replied.

She turned to face him. "What?"

"You must never say a word to anyone," he cautioned. She nodded. "As you have seen, I don't like to share. I like what's mine to be mine."

"Is that where Kyra gets it from?" Ginny wondered.

"Do you want to hear this?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yes. Continue, please," she replied, suddenly very serious.

"Narcissa and I had an arranged marriage; a good match for both families. We knew that we would be married even before we started Hogwarts. Well, around Christmas of her first year (my second) I did something, I don't even remember what, that really upset her. As I told you before, I was never in love with her, but I knew for the sake of my future life I needed to make it up to her. When I went to find her I overheard her talking to her friends. She was confiding in them that she had a crush on your father, and that despite his family's --" he searched for the right word so as not to offend her, "far too liberal views, she wished her family would have arranged a marriage to him instead. I was angry, and was a twelve year old boy who never had to share a single thing in his life. So despite the fact that I was never in love with her, she was mine. I then made it my main goal to do everything I could to make Arthur look like a fool while he was at Hogwarts; many times in front of your mother. As we got older, our different - political beliefs continued to add to the feud." He paused, "Once Draco was born, Narcissa informed me she did not want any more children."

"So there you were, wanting more children, more than able to provide for them, better than what you felt Dad could, and he had seven and you only one. I always thought that you were the one that stopped at one." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Well, I don't think I ever wanted seven, but three or four would have been nice."

"Do you still want more? I mean, we have Kyra."

"Ginevra, if you're willing, yes I would love to see you with child."

She turned to look at him, "Well, I don't mind but could we wait a little while? About a year at least?"

"That's fine." He pulled her towards him, her back to his chest and sitting between his legs. "I have something for you." He handed her a small velvet box; she took it from him and slowly opened it, revealing a stunning, flawless, princess cut diamond ring. It was large but tasteful, and the ring itself was platinum. There was a swirl pattern engraved on the outter band.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"It's your engagement ring. Kyra helped pick it out. We spent the evening on Diagon Alley. I'm glad I narrowed down the choice before we got to the jeweller's." Ginny did not say anything. She also did not move. "What is it?" Lucius asked.

"It's nothing," she replied too quickly.

He repositioned himself so he could look into her face. "You're lying. Tell me."

She bit her lip and looked at him. "I just- " she sighed, "I thought that my engagement ring would be a family heirloom."

He looked at her, then at the ring which was still in the box, then back at Ginny. "I'm sorry," he said, "I thought that because of the, ah – I'm sorry I assumed that because of the fact that most of your life you had things that belonged to someone before you that your ring should be something new." He went to take the box back from her.

"No, you picked this for me and you even included Kyra in the decision. I will proudly wear this ring," she stated as she took it out of the box.

"Allow me." He took the ring from her. They both shifted positions. He then took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "Now the world will know you're mine."

"Well, I don't mind being yours, but Lucius, you know I'm still my own person. I won't let you own me. This does not mean that I will bend to your will. I have my own ideas and dreams, whitch I won't give up." She looked very sternly at him.

"Of course," he said. "Tell me; did anyone take the news well?" he asked as they returned to the position of her leaning back on his chest.

"My sister in law, Fleur, was fine with it before we even left for L.A. Bill, her husband, George, and Percy were okay with things. Dad was hurt, but he does not want to lose me, so he's dealing with it, and much better than I could have really hoped for. I think Mum took it worse than him. Charlie did not say much of anything, and the Golden Trio would not even speak to me."

"That really bothers you, doesn't it?"

She sighed and thought for a moment. "Of course it does. I mean, when each of them announced they were getting married, everyone was happy for them and well, this was just the polar opposite. I knew what would happen, but it does not change the fact that it still hurts."

"I wish I could make it better for you," he said as he pulled her tight against himself. They sat quiet for awhile.

Then Kyra came out to the living room; she had been crying. "Mummy, I had a bad dream," she whimpered, rubbing one eye.

Lucius looked at her and smiled, "Why don't you climb up here with us and tell us about it."

Kyra did not have to be asked twice. She was sitting against her mother in two seconds flat. Lucius used his wand and a blanket Ginny kept on the one chair covered them. Ginny said, "Tell me about your dream, dear."

"I remember there was a man and he was very mad at daddy. He said he would make me hurt daddy."

Ginny looked up at Lucius; they both knew this must be a memory of the kidnapping that Kyra was reliving in her dreams. "Kyra, as you can see, Daddy's right here and he's fine. Try to close your eyes and think about something nice." Kyra snuggled in even closer. Lucius and Ginny sat quietly and waited for Kyra to fall asleep. No one knew who fell asleep first but Lucius woke at about two in the morning with his family leaning against him. He knew this made him happy. However, he also knew they all needed to get to bed. He levitated Kyra off Ginny, then tried to wake Ginny because he could not move with her there.

"Ginevra, come on. It's time for you to go to bed." She awoke slowly. After she moved away from him, he took Kyra to bed. Once he returned, he asked, "Ginevra, why didn't you tell me she had been having dreams about the kidnapping?"

"She wasn't; tonight was the first time."

"All the same, we should keep an eye on her. I know all too well that trying to block out things can have negative results." Ginny nodded. "Why don't the two of you head over to the Manor tomorrow for dinner, and we can figure out what room Kyra should have after the wedding and discuss any changes you would like to see to the decore of the Manor."

Ginny agreed and after kissing Lucius, he headed for home. He was not used to waiting for sex and he had had many lovers over the years. But he did not feel the need for one for quite some time now. He was also very well aware of just how careful he would have to be about making love to Ginny, especially in the begininng, until she was comfortable with sex. The fact that he had been the one to rape her, the fact that she had never before or since been with anyone, meant that their first time could end in a disaster if not handled with extreme care. Which was one of the reasons he was now being so careful with kissing her; he could not allow himself to get caught up in a moment. He knew that as much as he wanted his very young wife-to-be, he also wanted them to have a very full sex life in the future. His timing would have to be perfect. All this was part of the reason that even his kissing her was much more toned down. If this went according to plan, she would relax soon enough and the more adventurous their sex life would be.

The next morning, Ginny went to drop Kyra off at her mother's. Victorie was there but Teddy was nowhere to be seen. "Harry said he was going to take Teddy to see Andromeda," Molly explained coolly. The little girls headed upstairs to play in one of the rooms that had been changed into a playroom for the children.

"Is it Harry, Ron, and Hermione's plan to avoid me for the rest of their lives?" Ginny asked, offended.

"Ginevra, you must remember that the three of them were taken to Lucius' home against their will and his sister-in-law tortured Hermione."

"Yes, Mum, and I was RAPED by Lucius himself! If I can get past it, they should too. You killed Bellatrix; she can't hurt Hermione any more. Kyra! KYRA! Come on, we're going now!" Ginny finished, yelling up to the girls.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley! I will not have you talking to me like that!" Molly exclaimed indignantly.

"Mummy! We just got here! I want to play with Vicky." Kyra whined.

"Victorie can come to our house later or tomorrow. We're leaving." Ginny explained as she put Kyra's cloak on her. "Mother, I don't understand how Dad is more accepting of this than you. It should be the other way around." Ginny said as she headed out with Kyra. They then Apparated to the joke shop. Kyra was crying. Ginny walked into the shop, which was busy, and headed for the office without a word to George. "Kyra honey, I'm sorry. Mum will talk to Auntie Fleur and Vicky can come to play. I promise."

George walked into the office. Watching the two of them, he finally said, "Kyra, I'm pretty sure that we have some licorice wands behind the counter. I bet if you asked Ann, she'd let you have one. And maybe,she 'd even show you how the new hair dye I came up with works. It's just like Teddy's hair!" A smile was on Kyra's face and off she went. "I take it things did not go well at Mum's this morning?"

"No. We had a bit of a row. She was upset because Harry took Teddy to his grandmother's, I'm guessing, to keep him away from Lucius' child."

"Ginny, I know you've always tried to keep Kyra from knowing about the family's feelings towards him, but maybe it's time she knows. It could get worse before it gets better."

Ginny looked at him, "I don't know."

"Talk to Lucius; see how he feels about it."

"Talk to me about what?" Lucius asked, standing in the doorway holding a very happy Kyra.

George looked at him and Kyra, then at Ginny. "Kyra, why don't you come with me to the lab. I have something to show you. We'll leave you two alone." he said, then took Kyra from Lucius and left the room.

Ginny smiled at Lucius and came across the room for a hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Letting go of her, he explained, "Over the last few weeks I started this habit of going for a walk along the Alley each morning. Most days, there's the most beautiful sight that comes in here and then goes to the bank. I saw how upset Kyra was and I wanted to check on both of you."

"You were keeping an eye on me? That's sweet," she said, looking at him coyly.

For a second, Lucius looked as if he was unsure if he should be offended. "I don't think I have ever had the word sweet used to describe me."

Ginny smiled at him as he picked up a trinket that was sitting on the desk. Ginny quickly snatched it away. "Lucius, I'm only going to tell you this once, then you're on your own. Never, I mean, never ever, touch anything if it's in the back here. The same goes for anything George offers you to eat, or even if Kyra offers when George is around. It's the first rule of being a member of my family."

Lucius shook his head at the idea that he would soon be a member of the Weasley family. He took her in his arms again. "Do you see what you've done to me? A member of the Weasleys! Now, what about what I think,about what?"

"George thinks that maybe, in light of how some of my family is taking things, that we should tell Kyra about the feelings between her two families."

"She will find out on her own sometime, but I think that it would be better if she heard it from us. How about we tell her tonight at the Manor?" he suggested.

**A/N Please vote in my poll on my profile page. I am hoping to see at least 15 reviews...I'm having evil thoughts about sending the rest of the story to those who review.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

Ginny and Kyra arrived at the Manor about an hour before dinner. Ginny and Lucius decided to talk to Kyra first, and get it out of the way. They sat together on the sofa; Kyra between them. "Honey, you know that Daddy and I love you, as well as your grandparents, and uncles and aunties, and Draco. Right?" Ginny asked. Kyra nodded.

"Well, just because people agree on one thing does not mean they agree on everything," Lucius supplied.

"Or sometimes anything, Do you remember how we told you about the fact that Draco and your uncles Ron and Harry don't -didn't get along at school very well? Well honey, there's more to it than that. It's not just Ron, Harry and Draco. Umm..."

Lucius picked up the tag team effort they had going. "It's not just the boys. You see, for many generations... you know what a generation is, right?"

"No, daddy," Kyra answered honestly.

"A generation is like this You, Victorie and uncle George's baby thats coming are one generation, your uncles, Draco and I are another generation, and Daddy and Granddad and Grandma are another generation. Get it?" Ginny explained.

"Yes, Mummy."

"Thank you, Ginevra," Lucius looked at Ginny, then continued. "The Weasley and Malfoy families for many generations have almost always disagreed on everything, until you came along."

"What we are trying to tell you is that Daddy does not get along very well with the rest of your family. I mean to say, everyone loves you. But because of the hurt feelings from the past, not everyone is as happy as we are about Mummy and Daddy getting married. In fact, it's going to take some time for them to get used to the idea."

"Can I go play now?" Kyra asked.

"Of course, princess." Kyra jumped down and headed to the table where there was some parchment and a quill.

"I don't think she understood," Ginny stated.

"No, she did. She's just taking time to decide how this affects her. She will come back with questions later. It's a Malfoy trait," Lucius explained. He did the same thing as a child and so did Draco.

It was during dinner when Kyra finally spoke about their discussion. "Draco, did you know that Malfoys and Weasleys have not liked each other for many generations?"

Draco looked like he had swallowed his tongue. Ginny knew this was from the sheer fact that for him to have not known would have been impossible; it was almost inbred into both families. And Kyra looked as if she was trying to lord over him the fact that she knew something he did not.

Lucius looked at Ginny, whose whole body was shaking with suppressed laughter. Draco finally found a way to reply, "That's what makes you so special. You're the first thing we can all agree on," he told his little sister with a smile.

This, coupled with the events of the morning, caused Ginny to excuse herself and head to the powder room where she broke down in tears. A short time later, there was a tap on the powder room door.

"Ginevra? Are you okay?" Lucius' voice came from the other side of the door.

"Yes, just give me a minute." She dried her eyes and then exited the room. Lucius was standing nearby waiting for her. "Sorry," she gave him a small smile.

"This has been a difficult time for you; it's understandable," he reassured her as he put his arm around her.

"Had someone told me that it would be Draco who was most okay with this, I never would have believed it," Ginny said as he led her down the hall towards the staircase.

"Draco and Kyra were going to go flying. How would you like to pick Kyra's room?" She nodded and as they headed up the stairs, he asked, "You're making me wonder just what Draco did to you that you're still so very surprised that he's nice."

"You really want to know?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Okay. When I first started, I had a really big crush on Harry, and on Valentine's Day I had a card for Harry. Draco read it aloud for everyone to hear, teasing me continuously, calling me Weaslette, not to mention the way he behaved as prefect or a member of the Inquisitorial Squad. But I'll never forget when Moody turned him into a ferret. Did he ever tell you about that?"

Lucius looked mildly amused. "Of course he did; he wanted me to get Moody fired." They then picked a room for Kyra that was across from what would be their bedroom. They had returned downstairs and Lucius had taken Ginny to see the ballroom that they would use for the wedding. It was huge but perfect. The area that would be the dance floor was hardwood and the rest of the floor was marble, the walls were limestone, and there was a large terrace off the ballroom.

As they left, Ginny was a little turned around and began to head down a corridor but was stopped by Lucius. "Ginny, that's the south wing. I don't think we will be using it for anything."

She smiled up at him. "I still would like to see it," she stated

"No, Ginevra, there's nothing but bad memories for you down there." He tried to turn her back towards the way they came.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked, planted in her spot.

Lucius realized that Ginny did not know. "The south wing was the location Voldemort used as, ah, headquarters, if you will."

"Where I was brought that night?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes," Lucius responded. Before he could react, Ginny was moving purposefully down the hall, Lucius following behind her. "Ginevra --"

"I have to, Lucius," she said. When she reached the main hall she looked towards the stairs and down towards the room that Voldemort had been in that night. She headed up the stairs slowly, almost as if reliving her and Lucius' trip up those same stairs over five years ago. She did not need anyone to remind her which room it was. She opened the door and the room lit itself. Other than having been cleaned, it looked exactly as it had that night. Ginny slowly entered the room; Lucius remained in the doorway. She stepped towards the bed, looking at it for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than a whisper. "You were so kind about it. I could see in your eyes you really did not want to do it to me."

"Ginevra?" She walked towards him.

"I have to do this," she said and pushed past him. She headed back down the stairs and to the room where Voldemort had been that night. Opening one of the double doors, it was a grand reception room with grouped seating scattered around the room. She thought back to that night. The room had been poorly lit that night, but as she thought back, most of this furniture had been there; just pushed against the walls. To Ginny's right against the wall was a table which had some crystal ornaments on it. She grabbed one and threw it at the spot where Voldemort had stood. She continued to throw the ornaments at the spot, yelling at the being that was long since dead, until they were all gone. She then crumpled to the floor in tears. Lucius, who had followed her, knelt down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and softly said, "He can't hurt you anymore, Ginny. It's okay; let it out."

Ginny realized he had never called her by the name everyone else used before. They stayed on the floor for a long time until she finally stopped crying. She looked up at him. "I'm done now; we can leave."

"Are you sure? I can get more ornaments for you to break," he replied.

Ginny's eyes grew big; she never even thought about the fact that they could have been priceless. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I never even thought about it."

"It's fine. I think that was the best thing that could have happened to them," he said as he helped her up. "Are you sure you're finished now?"

"Why didn't you tell me it happened here?"

He looked down into her face. "I thought you knew," he said innocently.

"No. I never even thought about where exactly it was."

"Can we go now?" he asked and she nodded. He wrapped his arm around her as they left the room.

"Can I see the kitchen?" Ginny asked as they headed back to the rest of the house. When they arrived there, Ginny was very surprised to see the whole kitchen was built for a house elf; everything was designed to a height Dobby or Winky would have been comfortable with.

When Ginny and Kyra arrived home that evening, Harry was sitting on the step waiting for them. "Ginny, I would like to talk to you."

Ginny did not want another fight this evening, but she got the feeling he wasn't looking for a fight. "Fine, but I need to get Kyra in the bath first." While Ginny ran the bath, Kyra undressed and Harry made tea. Once Kyra was in the tub, Ginny could leave her to play, which some days was until the water was cold.

She returned to the dining room table where Harry already had the tea there for them. "Ginny, I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I behaved last night. Just because I don't like Lucius doesn't mean I should have treated you that way."

"What else, Harry?" Ginny asked; she felt that there was more coming.

"I just don't understand how, after everything he has done to you in the past, you can be so forgiving of him," Harry said as he played with his cup.

"I wish I could explain it, but I know no matter what I say, you'll never understand, Harry. Despite what you think, he is a good man. He loves me and Kyra, and it kills him to think that it was his actions that put Kyra in danger. He hates being vulnerable, and his family is his biggest weakness. He hurt me to protect both me and Kyra. That's not that different from someone else I once dated." She smiled at him in a teasing way.

Harry looked at her, as if wondering if he should ask a question, "Why can you forgive him for that but not me?"

Ginny sighed, "Harry, I was never upset with you about that. I always knew it would happen."

"Then why have I spent five years asking, 'Why aren't we together?'"

She wondered if she should tell him, then decided not to. He would just tell her she was wrong and then try to prove she was wrong. "Harry, I came to realize that I love you like a brother, not a lover. I realized that I just could not see myself being intimate with you. It seemed wrong."

He thought for a long moment, then said, "I always believed that you just did not want to ask me to raise Lucius' daughter; you know, because of how you have always asked everyone to be so careful of what we said about him around her."

"No, Harry, that was never it. Actually, we told Kyra this evening about the animosity between our families," she explained.

He seemed surprised at this. "How did that go?"

"Fine. Actually, the first time Kyra met Draco, she learned about the hard feelings between Ron and you and Draco. It was very cute. Then tonight, she told him about how the families felt. The look on his face was almost as good as when Moody turned him into a ferret."

Harry laughed at the memory. "Do you really think he can make you happy?"

"Harry, I know what everyone is thinking, but yes, I think he will. We got along very well in L.A., and if that was a sample of what it will be like to be married to him..." She shook her head. "I know we will have problems and I am completely aware of the differences we have. Harry, I can't explain it in words; it's a feeling."

Kyra could be heard playing loudly in the tub. "I just want to see you happy. Look, I know how Ron can be, and I think we both know it's going to take him a long time to get used to the idea. But cut Hermione some slack. I can tell that while she does not think Ron is completely right, being newly married she's just trying to support her husband."

Ginny looked up from her tea cup. "I guess it's a hard time for her. Why anyone would want to live with Ron of their own free will is beyond me."

"Have you ever slept in the same room with him, with his snoring? She will never get any sleep!"

They both laughed. "Teddy will be at your Mum's tomorrow."

Ginny suddenly looked a little sad. " I don't know if Kyra will; Mum and I had a bit of a row today."

"She's just worried about you. But I should be getting back to Luna and Teddy." Harry rose and headed to the door with Ginny following.

"Harry, why the change?" she asked.

"I talked to Andromeda; she said that she never felt the need to worry about Narcissa marrying Lucius, because despite his beliefs, he always took care of those he loved. Hell, Ginny, do you realize you're going to be Draco's stepmother?" he asked, holding the front door open.

"I don't think he needs a mother figure any longer," she laughed. "Give Luna my love."

Before Ginny was even dressed the next morning, the wards went off. She was beginning to feel as if her house stopped being a home and had become a train station with all the comings and goings of late. She put a robe on, then went to answer the door; only to find her mother looking very sheepish standing on the other side. "Ginny, we need to talk."

Ginny smiled; no matter what, her mother was still her mother. "Come on in. I just put some coffee on."

Molly and Ginny sat down at the table. "Ginny, I'm sorry about yesterday. I just know how Lucius – I spent the night before last watching your father try to deal with the fact that you want to do this. He does not want to lose you, so he's trying far more than I ever guessed he would. But it's still hard for him nd it hurts me to see him hurting. Ginny, do you really love Lucius?"

"Mum, I do. That day at the hospital, he had hurt me in the way only someone you love can. But when he showed up here jealous and told me how he really felt, I was so happy. I know I should care, but honestly, as long as I'm with him, that's all that matters. I'm sorry if it hurts Dad or anyone else, but this just feels right. I know it's right."

Molly looked at her only daughter, "Then I would say it's really love, at least on your part. I just don't want to see you hurt."

"Mum, he's not going to hurt me."

Molly took a sip of her coffee. "Have you set a date for the wedding yet?"

Ginny knew that this meant Molly would find a way to deal with it. "Not exactly; just that Christmas time would be nice. And the ballroom at the Manor would be perfect. I mean, I can't exactly see a winter time wedding at the Burrow."

Molly nodded slowly, "Will you allow me to help you with the plans?"

"Of course, Mum."

Molly smiled. "Can I see your ring?" Molly indicated to Ginny's engagement ring. Ginny offered her hand. "Oh, Merlin! You could buy a whole country with how much that ring must have cost!"

Ginny pulled her hand away and looked again at the ring. "It's not that big, Mum."

"Ginny, I'm not talking quantity; I'm talking quality. Dear, that's flawless. Is it an heirloom?" Molly did not want to offend her daughter.

"No. Lucius narrowed down the choices and then had Kyra help him pick," Ginny explained, still looking at the ring.

"That was sweet of him." Molly was really trying.

"I was a little disappointed that it's not a family heirloom, but Lucius said that he felt that my engagement ring should be something that only ever belonged to me."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

A week later, life had become a new normal. Ginny and most of her family were back on track. Most days, Ginny would still take Kyra to the Burrow, and most mornings hit Diagon Alley and the joke shop along with any other errands she had. Her afternoons were spent with Kyra, and the evenings were either at Ginny's house or at the Manor. Ginny also had to deal with the fact that she had to share her future husband's attention with her own daughter, not that she minded. They just did not get a lot of one on one time together, and at times it felt like Lucius was keeping her at arm's length. It was almost as if he was scared to get too close to her. She knew they had to talk about it soon, however, she also wanted to talk once she knew Kyra would not interrupt them.

So this evening, Kyra was sent to Bill and Fleur's for the night. Kyra and Victorie were thrilled to have a sleepover. Ginny forgot to mention this little fact to Lucius, though. She also made a point making dinner for the two of them. She did not think that Lucius even realized he was doing it to her. She hoped that they could work this out tonight. She did not want this hanging over them. She did take extra care to look good tonight; even picking a dress that she knew he would like. It was a simple jersey dress, black in color with small lime green diamond shapes on it and a v neckline, accented by a simple rope belt. Her hair was in a simple ponytail. When Lucius arrived, he was wearing his classic black robes. He intently looked around for Kyra. "She's spending the night at Bill and Fleur's with Vicky. I hope you don't mind."

He smiled at her, "I don't mind; I'm just surprised."At that point, Ginny decided to see how a night with just the two of them would go. Dinner was fine; they talked about the mundane things that were of little importance. Once they finished dinner, they moved to the living room. They were both on the sofa. "Ginevra, we should decide on a date for the wedding."

"Before we do that, Lucius, I think we need to talk about something else." He readjusted his body to be able to look straight into her eyes.

"What is it?"

"I know we have to deal with Kyra, and I feel that, well, you really are great with her. But I'm a little worried about us. I feel like you're keeping me at arm's length and I don't know what to think. I don't know if this is how you want our life to be, but I think we need to talk about our expectations."

"Ginevra, you must realize that because of Kyra, it does change things for us. And if you're comparing us to your friends or family, our age difference will also change things. I'm too old to play the love sick boy," he stated dryly.

"I know that, but since you gave me my ring, it's almost like you're afraid to touch me," she explained, looking down into her hands.

"I am," he said as her head shot up. "Ginevra, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I want you very badly. I have always gotten what I want; most of the time when I wanted it. I'm trying to be very careful because, as I said, I want the first time we make love to be on our wedding night. If I allow myself to get too caught up in things with you, neither of us will want to stop. How can I make this better for you?"

She smiled at him. "I really love it when you just hold me."

He put his arm around her lovingly. "That's good, because I enjoy holding you. I promise; once we're married, you will never have to worry about how I feel about you. Anything else?"

"No, I don't think so." They both leaned back and Ginny rested her head on Lucius' chest. "Okay, about a date for the wedding. Do you have any ideas?"

"I know I want Christmas with both of you," he said

"So before Christmas? Hmm..." she pondered.

"How about December 23? That way Kyra could spent the night with your parents or at your brother's place. we would have our wedding night, she could return the next evening, and we would all be together on Christmas morning. Then after Christmas we could go on our honeymoon."

"I think that sounds great," she said, then they sat quiet for a couple of mintues. Ginny finally spoke again; "We have a date. And it does not give us much time."

"Well, you just have to find a dress, pick stationery, flowers, food, music, and an official."

"I just have to?" she tried to look up at him.

He looked back down at her. "Fine. We. The worst will be waiting for replies."

"What are people going to say?" she wondered.

"Ginevra, you must start to take a page from Kyra. If you're happy, why would you care about what other poeple think? But I do think you're right; this will mostly intrigue the press. We are an unlikely pair."

"Unlikely, that's an understatement! How should we deal with it?"

"I think that perhaps we need to be seen out together," Lucius said matter-of-factly.

"That makes sense." Ginny stated.

"How does your family deal with press?" he asked as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Because I believe that they will be subjected to a press intrusion over this as well."

"Why?" Ginny asked again.

"Ginevra," he said patiently, "Think about it; who we are, who our families are. Your family is practically the symbol of the resistance to Voldemort. I think the only way there would be a bigger reaction is if you were marrying Voldemort himself."

"True, but I still don't see-"

"The press will be wanting your family's reaction. They will also be looking for any and all details about us and the wedding."

"I don't think so. I mean Luna Lovegood, Harry's fiancee, is a writer and her father is still the editor of the Quibbler. Not one word about us has leaked out."

"I think that means you have a true friend," he smiled at her.

"Maybe we should ask her to write a story about us?" Ginny suggested. "It helped a bit when the Quibbler printed Harry's telling about what happened in the graveyard the night Tom returned."

He remained quiet. Ginny pulled away so she could look into his face. "Lucius, as you have already pointed out tonight, we were on opposing sides during the war. Why is it if I bring up anything about it you go quiet?"

He looked into the young face that forgave him for so much. "I simply am ashamed of the things I did then, mostly to you, but also that I blindly followed him to the point of coming very close to losing my family; to the point of going to Azkaban."

"And it's very hard for a Malfoy to say 'I was wrong.' I understand that about you. As for Azkaban, I can only imagine what that was like. I remember when the Dementors were at the school and how I felt the three times I was near them. I don't ever want to feel that way again."

"You relived something that happened with Voldemort, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes, but let's not talk about that." She then lay back on his chest. "Back to the press. Should I talk to Luna?"

"How about this; we should start being seen together, and let's see how the reaction goes. I think at first there won't be much; not until word gets out about the wedding. Then the shit will hit the fan. Perhaps we should talk to your family, so everyone's on the same page about what to say. If the press is getting the same line from everyone, they will stop quicker. Why don't we have everyone to dinner at the Manor on Sunday to discuss it?"

"I think discussing it is fine but let's do it here instead."

"Why?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I think it's more neutral ground for everyone," she replied.

"Ginevra, you do realize the wedding is happening at the Manor. They will have to go there then."

"I know." She playfully swatted at him. "But let's just give them a little more time to get used to the idea of us first."

"I'll agree, on one condition; you allow me to have the house elves from the Manor do the cooking." She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "They will make dinner, you can make dessert. Is that a fair compromise?"

She smiled. "I think that's reasonable." It was settled.

Ginny asked all her family to dinner and informed them that Lucius would be there. She spoke to Sully, Lucius' head house elf, about what dinner would be. When Sunday arrived, Ginny was almost a basket case with worry about what might happen between her family and Lucius. With everyone set to arrive at four, Lucius arrived at three to spend a little one on one time with Kyra. It made sense for him to already be there when everyone arrived.

Bill, Fleur, and Victorie arrived first. Ginny greeted them at the door, hugging each of them. Lucius was in Kyra's room, as they were a little early. Ginny sent Vicky to Kyra's room, and seconds later Kyra could be heard proudly introducing her father to her cousin. Lucius entered the living room a few moments later. "Lucius, this is my oldest brother, Bill and his lovely wife Fleur." The two men eyed each other up and down, but were perfectly civil. "Fleur will be my Matron of Honor." Ginny explained Seconds later, George and Angelina arrived. She looked as if her baby belly could burst at any second. Lucius had spoken with George at the joke shop the day after Ginny told the family, so he greeted this future brothjer-in-law a little more warmly. Harry and Luna, with Teddy, arrived and there was no introduction needed there. Molly, Arthur and Charlie arrived together next. Ginny could have swore the temperature dropped in the room at that moment. Percy and Audrey followed, and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they announced they were getting married. And finally, Hermione arrived, alone.

"I'm sorry. Ron's still being a prat. I hope it's okay that I came?" she asked hopefully. Ginny smiled and hugged her sister-in-law.

"I'm glad you came," Ginny said as Lucius came up, just as he had as everyone else arrived.

"Mrs. Weasley, I offer my congratulations on your recent marriage," he said. Every eye in the house was watching what was taking place. One could hear a pin drop.

Hermione smiled and replied, "And I would offer the same about your upcoming marriage." She offered her hand to shake his, which he politely took, however breifly.

The rest of the evening was tense, to say the least, but everyone remained civil. They had just finished explaining the line they wanted to take with the press when Angelina's water broke. This brought the evening to a quick end as the about-to-be parents, along with Molly and Arthur, quickly headed to George's place for the birth. Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Teddy left soon after, followed by Percy and Audrey. Charlie took off after talking to Kyra for a few minutes, leaving Bill, Fleur and Vicky.

Bill was talking with Ginny as Lucius checked on Vicky and Kyra. As he returned to the living room, Ginny and Bill were nowhere to be seen, but Fleur smiled at him. "What are doze two up to now?" she asked about the girls.

"They are playing house," Lucius said, suddenly feeling out of place.

"Dis evening went better dan expected, I tink." She could tell he was a little uncomfortable, so she turned on her Veela charm. "Dis family can be very intimidating in deir own way when dey want to be, no?"

He looked at the woman. "I hardly think a bunch of Weasleys could intimidate me."

She nodded as if giving him that point. "Well, speaking from experience, dey can be downright unwelcome if dey want."

Lucius, who realized she had turned on her Veela charm, looked her in the eye. "I find it hard to believe that in a mostly male family, you would be unwelcome," he said with a smirk.

"I was known for a while as Phlegm."

"Really?"

"Yes. It was Ginny who started it, I tink. But once dey realized dat I was not just some superficial person and dat I really did love Bill, den it changed almost instantly. Greyback's attack on 'im was most likely de best ting dat happened for my relationship wit 'is family." Lucius, who did not realize how Bill had become scarred, seemed surprised at this.

Bill and Ginny returned from the office; they had been talking about a small problem with the joke shop's account at the bank. When they entered the room, Bill wrapped his arm lovingly around his wife as Ginny asked, "What were you two talking about?"

"Just about 'ow dis family welcomes newcomers," Fleur replied with a smile.

Ginny blushed a little, knowing full well what Fleur was saying. "Mum and I were going to go looking at dresses on Wednesday. Do you want to come with us? We could also look for a dress for you."

"'Ave you decided on a color for my dress?" The two men looked a little uncomfortable.

Ginny looked up at Lucius, then replied. "I think black would look very classic, and you always look so good in it. Lucius, who's going to be your best man?"

"I was planning on asking Severus." Ginny smiled, looking very comfortable with that. After the last Weasleys left, Ginny and Lucius got Kyra into bed. Ginny then went into the kitchen and as she was pouring them each a glass of wine, Lucius came up behind her, snaking his arms around her and then lightly kissing her neck. She relaxed against him. "I never realized that your brother was attacked by Greyback. He's not a full werewolf, is he?"

"No. And there is no danger." She shifted around in his arms so she could face him. "Tonight went better than I had expected," she said and handed him his glass of wine.

"What did you expect?" he asked before taking a sip of the white wine.

"I had visions of you and Dad that reminded me of that day on Diagon Alley."

He laughed at the thought. "Well, I understand why you might say that. Don't you think that he and I care more about your feelings than about our differences? You once called your sister-in-law Phlegm?"

"Well, yes. I told you before that at the time we wanted Bill to get together with Tonks. Fleur just did not seem to fit into the famliy at the time. But now, well, looking at things, I'm beginning to think we Weasleys have a thing for blondes," she teasted.

"She was trying to use her Veela charm on me," he stated simply.

"She was probably just trying to put you at ease; you're not worried, are you?"

"No, however enough of your family dislikes me. I would not want your brother to get jealous."

"He knows she loves him and that it just comes naturally to her. I think it's me you might have to be more worried about." She glanceed around her kitchen, which was spotless. "Well, I must admit, I don't mind not having to clean up tonight."

"Come, let's sit down." He led her into the living room. "We need to start heading out together." After they sat down, he continued. "How about we meet for lunch tomorrow?"

**A/N- Please review. And I will be closing my poll on Sunday please vote.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

The Press

"Dere is no word about you and Lucius in de papers," Fleur said. She, Ginny, and Molly were having coffee before starting the great wedding gown hunt.

"I was not surprised yesterday when I read the paper, but I think this morning I was a little disappointed. But I know it's only a matter of time," Ginny said as she watched the coffee in her cup spin after stirring.

"Ginny, have you given any thought as to what kind of dress you want?" Molly asked, thinking ahead to the shopping that was to come.

Ginny looked at her mother for a second as if the woman had three heads while she thought about this. "Not really; when I was younger, I knew what kind of dress I wanted. I guess we should start with that."

The three soon headed off to the shop. After picking a couple of dresses to try on that were much like the one Ginny believed as a child she would want, Ginny decided that they were definitely wrong. The dresses were beautiful, but they made her feel like a wedding cake. The saleswoman asked, "Tell me about the wedding you're planning; then we can pick a dress that complements the style of nuptials you're having."

"Well, let's see; the wedding date is set for December 23, and will be a late afternoon ceremony, in the Manor ballroom, with about one hundred guests. It's my first marriage and his second. I think the word that best describes the wedding would be 'classy,'" Ginny explained. They pulled many dresses, but nothing was 'the dress'. Ginny remembered someone once saying that you would know when you had 'the dress' on. But with each new dress she tried, she was just more confused. She gave up on the idea of knowing and picked three, thinking maybe if she came back in a couple of days, she might be in a better frame of mind. But as they were about to leave, a dress that was red and meant to be just a special occasion dress caught her eye. Ginny looked at it intently, saying to her mother, "Now why couldn't that one come in white or ivory? Too bad."

Molly looked at her daughter. "That's not the normal style of wedding gown, but Ginny, you're not thinking! With the amount of money you're marrying into, I'm sure that any shop owner or designer will do anything they have to to make you happy." Ginny asked the saleswoman about the chances of getting the dress in a different color.

"No, I'm sorry. That comes in only three colors," the woman said. Ginny rejoined her mother and Fleur.

They began to head back to the Leaky Cauldron when they were stopped by the shop owner, who had been working with another customer while they were in his shop. "Miss, I noticed the trouble you were having, and I wanted to let you know the designer of the dress you were asking about will be in the day after tomorrow with her new line. If you come by around three, maybe you could speak with her."

Ginny seemed a little surprised, but agreed. That day, Molly had an appointment and could not join her.. Ginny however was very happy the designer was so willing to help her out. She and the shop owner had a look at the three dresses Ginny had said maybe to and the red dress, which still was not right. The designer offered to create a dress just for her. Just as she was about to leave, Lucius, whom Ginny had made plans to meet with afterwards, entered the shop to collect her. While the designer and the shop owner had enough class not to react, the saleswoman who had served Ginny before watched with great interest the exchange between them.

The next morning, finally, there was a story in the paper:

_**This reporter was imformed yesterday of an extremely interesting fact. Ginevra Weasley, age 23, is planning to get married. That in itself is not overly interesting. It's not until I heard who it is she plans to marry that is the interesting fact. Ginevra Weasley, youngest and only daughter of Arthur Weasley, will be marrying Lucius Malfoy, age 47. Now for those of you dear readers who do not know, the Weasley and Malfoy families have a long history of extreme dislike between them. **_

_**The whole of the Weasley family were all members of the Order of the Phoenix, and all fought in the final battle against He Who Must Not Be Named. Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater who was sent to Azkaban. He was only released a few months ago, but he had received a shorter sentence because of the testimony he gave against other Death Eaters. **_

_**One must wonder why this unlikely pair are marrying. It is only rumored that Miss Weasley was the one that opened the Chamber of Secrets in her first year at Hogwarts (1992). So it would seem she has always had a dark side. There is no word on how her father is taking this news; however, her mother, Molly Weasley, and sister-in-law were with her as she looked for a wedding gown. The wedding is reportedly set to take place on Dec 23 of this year.**_

Lucius was annoyed that the reporter implied Ginny had an evil side. But Ginny was really very calm about it, saying that it was not the first time she heard it since the Chamber. The following day, Ginny read the paper before even getting dressed.

_**As reported yesterday, Ginevra Weasley is about to marry Lucius Malfoy. Well, no comment was given by the Weasley family. This reporter has discovered, it would seem, that five years ago while still attending Hogwarts, Ginevra had a relationship with Lucius Malfoy's only son, Draco. This resulted in a child whose name, until a short time ago, was Kyra Marina Weasley, since changed to Malfoy. Did Draco keep his relationship with Ginevra hidden from his father, and then walk out on her when she found herself pregnant? Or was this a failed attempt on Ginevra's part to trap Draco Malfoy into marriage? Which it seems, for a long time, was a failed attempt, until Lucius found out about Kyra. Being that she is pureblood, he feels that she had to be given her birthright, and landing Ginevra the bigger prize of Lucius instead.**_

_**Ginevra has had quite the history in the relationship department. Reportedly, she dated most of the male population while in school, which included Harry Potter himself. It does seem that she has done an excellent job of honing her skills, most likely in an attempt to rise above the poor means of her family. Marrying into the Malfoy family means she will never again have to even hear the words 'second hand.'**_

As she finished the report, she snorted in laughter, then was interrupted by Lucius barging in. It had been years since she saw him look so angry or dangerous. "Have you read the paper this morning?" he sneered, still holding his copy of the paper in his hand.

Ginny smiled and came up to him, carefully putting her hands on his arms. "Yes I have, Lucius. Relax. It's only a report."

"It's completely untrue and I don't like what it implied about you," he stressed as he raised a hand and gently touched her cheek.

"It does paint a rather bad picture of me." She gave a small frown. "But we know the truth, Lucius. I don't care what that woman says. Has Draco seen the paper yet?"

"No, he was out late last night." Ginny led him to the table in the kitchen as he continued., "I think we need to address the press."

"Why? I mean we and our families know the truth. If we were suddenly willing to talk to them, it will just look like we're doing damage control or adding fuel to their fire."

"You're right, but I'm still not comfortable with the world thinking poorly of you."

"I love you, Lucius. Anyone who reads that and who knows me also knows that that'sjust a load of rubbish. I think it's very sweet you're so upset by this."

Ginny got herself and Kyra ready and the three headed over to the Manor. It seemed only fair to include Draco on any decisions that were made, seeing as how he was now involved as well. They had only been at the Manor a short time when Draco came down. He was reading the paper as he walked in the room, not realizing that Ginny and Kyra were there. "I knew I did a lot of shagging at school, but I'm pretty sure I would have remembered shagging the Weaslette." he said, then looked up from his paper and his face changed to what Ginny could only guess was embarrassment.

"Draco, what does shagging mean?" Kyra asked, which caused Draco to turn pink. He looked at Lucius and Ginny for help, but found none. His father simply watched him and Ginny was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

"Uhm, let's see... Uhm, it's a not very nice word that even big wizards shouldn't use."

"But what does it mean?" She stood in front of him with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

"Yes, Draco, explain it to your little sister," Lucius said coolly.

"Well, it, uhm, means hugging and kissing and such."

"Oh." Kyra said and returned to her playing.

Ginny smiled. "Good morning, Ferret," she said as he poured himself a coffee. He turned back towards her. "You seem calmer than your father about the report."

"It could have been worse; it could have said I was sh-" he looked over at Kyra, "Kissing and such with Granger," he said with a look of distaste on his face.

While Ginny did not like Draco and Lucius' feelings about some of the people she cared about, she realized that both men were raised to think this way, and they both tried to only make comments that used the person in question's last name. And even at that, they kept it to a minimum around her and Kyra. It mattered more that Lucius respected her feelings about the matter and tried to keep her more liberal views in mind, especially if Kyra was around.

"So, do you have any thoughts on how we should respond?" Lucius asked.

"We all know she's going to write what she wants, and let's face it, this is a scandal," Draco replied. "If we react, we look like we're trying to cover something up, and if we don't, it looks like it's true. Realistically, Ginny is really the only person whose reputation could be harmed by this. Everyone knows what we both have done; it might actually help your reputation, Father. But I say it's Ginny's call."

Three days later, a third report appeared in the paper:

_**I reecently reported about the upcoming marriage between Ginevra Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. Some reports even implied that Ginevra's daughter was Draco Malfoy's child. This reporter has just returned, after risking my sanity, from Azkaban to give you the full story. According to a Mr. Yaxley, an imprisoned Death Eater, Ginevra Weasley was brought to Malfoy Manor (which was used as headquarters for the Death Eaters). It was there that she was tortured by He Who Must Not Be Named with an Unforgivable Curse. Then the Dark Lord ordered Lucius Malfoy to rape Ginevra. Considering the timing of this event, it seems that my previous report was incorrect. **_

_**However, one must wonder why Lucius Malfoy never served time for this rape, and we wonder why Miss Weasley is so willing to marry him. **_

"I think it's time we asked Luna if she would be willing to write the whole story," Lucius offered.

"Why? I thought we agreed to just let them write what they wanted," Ginny said. They were sitting in what had become their favorite postion; Ginny leaning against Lucius between his legs.

"We must think of Kyra. People need to understand your reason for not pressing charges and being so willing to forgive me."

"I don't know if I'm willing to do that. I mean, I don't want to go out and tell the world your weakness."

"Ginevra, do you realize that that report implies that you're under the Imperious Curse?" he asked, then slowly started kissing her neck. She let out a soft moan, then bent her head to allow him better access. He chuckled.

"Oh, you do have me under some type of spell, but I know it's not unforgivable." she murmured.

Once he stopped, he spoke again, "Will you talk to her?"

"Only if you'll go back to doing that." He snickered this time, but complied.

The next evening, Kyra went with Harry and Teddy to visit Hagrid. He was caring for a baby unicorn whose mother died giving birth. Ginny and Lucius were able to sit down with Luna.

"Why don't you tell me everything. I will then write it and the two of you can approve the story I write or we can rework things until you're happy with it," Luna suggested.

Two days later, the story appeared in the Quibbler.

** A couple of days back, I had the chance to sit down with Ginevra (Ginny) Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. They spoke candidly about the events that led up to their engagement. Here is the true story. Yes, Lucius was a Death Eater who had displeased Voldemort. He did not use Unforgivable Curses on children during the events that led to the Ministry for Magic finally conceding to the fact that the Dark Lord had returned. While he spent a brief time in Azkaban, his son Draco Malfoy was ordered to kill Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, an inpossible task for a wizard of sixteen. The Dark Lord was sure Draco would fail and he would have most likely killed the teen, more to make Lucius pay for his own mistakes than the boy's. Once any remaining Death Eaters were freed from Azkaban, the Malfoy family was treated like servants to Voldemort and the other Death Eaters. It is true that Ginny was taken to Malfoy Manor where she was tortured and, yes, the Dark Lord did order Lucius to rape Ginny. At this point in telling me their story, Ginny looked into the eyes of Lucius. She was more talking to him than me, but here are her words; "I knew that Lucius did not want to hurt me. Really, it was more like we were both being raped. And then afterwards, you told me how to make the Cruciatus Curse hurt less." **

** At this point, I asked why Lucius did not just modify Ginny's memories. "Voldemort had borrowed my wand, thinking he would be able to kill Harry Potter with it. He never returned it," Mr. Malfoy explained. Ginny was returned to Hogwarts shortly after this violation. I asked why she was not kept there as a prisoner. Voldemort wanted her family to seek revenge on Lucius and cause a battle he hoped would wipe out a large part of the Order of the Phoenix. **

** Ginny never told anyone about the attack until she found out she was pregnant. "I never pressed charges because I knew Lucius had no choice in the matter," she explained. Lucius never found out about his child until after his recent release from Azkaban. Ginny felt that if Lucius wanted to know his child, it was only fair to allow it. As Lucius got to know Kyra, age 4, he and Ginny found themselves falling in love. They admit it has not been easy and there will always be problems, but this couple very clearly cares a great deal for each other. I myself have known Ginny since we started Hogwarts together. She has been a good friend to me, and I have always known Ginny to find the best in everyone. And I can say the only spell she is under is the spell of love; the great magic anyone, even a Muggle, can be part of.**

"I think she did a very good job. Don't you?" Ginny smiled at Lucius as they sat in the sitting room at the Manor.

"Yes, but I must say that she's rather odd," his voice was very dry.

"It's just part of her charm," she said.

**A/N – I closed my poll about which story to write. However, it was a tie. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

After Luna's report was out, Rita Skeeter's reports stopped. Of course people's opinions of Lucius did not change, but Ginny was learning to live with that. She was more aware than most people just what he was capable of, but she also knew he would never hurt her or Kyra. They were still getting closer and spending most of their free time together. This evening, Lucius had some business meetings that he wanted to finish, so Ginny and Kyra were at the Burrow. Kyra was playing with her grandfather; Ginny and Molly were discussing wedding plans. Molly was very surprised by the type of wedding Ginny wanted. Not that there was anything wrong with what she wanted; it just was not the lace and frills she expected of her daughter.

Ginny was amazed by how supportive her father was about things. But thankful as she was, she knew that for him it was all about keeping his relationship with her in good standing. Arthur did not trust Lucius for a second. He knew that when things fell apart between the two, he would be there for Ginny. Arthur still was unsure exactly what Lucius was planning, but he would be damned if he would allow Lucius to drive a wedge between him and his daughter. Arthur just could not accept that maybe, just maybe, Lucius did love Ginny.

As the evening went on, Kyra grew sleepy and by the time it was time to go, Kyra was completely asleep. Ginny did not want to wake her as they had plans to go to the Manor first thing in the morning. Arthur offered to Apparate with Kyra to Ginny's, as she had invitations and other wedding things to take as well. After saying good night to Molly, Ginny and Arthur headed to her place.

When they landed, they found Ginny's house in flames! After trying to put it out magically and finding it could not be done, Arthur summoned the necessary wizard authorities and Ginny summoned Lucius.

When Lucius arrived, he found Ginny holding a crying Kyra and Arthur dealing with the Magical Fire fire department. "Ginevra. you and Kyra weren't in there when it started, were you?"he asked, clearly alarmed, as he came closer to them.

"No, we were coming home from the Burrow and this is what we found." As he wrapped his arms around them, she broke down. "My home,-- everything-- gone!"

"Ginevra, you and Kyra are safe; that's all that matters," he said soothingly as he continued to hold her while she sobbed. Because of his height, he could see clearly over her head. Arthur made eye contact, then came over to them.

"Ginny, they think they're going to be here the rest of the night. It's cold out. We should head back to the Burrow. Your mother will be worried," Arthur informed them.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Lucius asked in his most civil tone. Arthur only nodded.

Once they arrived, Lucius looked the Burrow up and down, but had enough class not to make any comment about the home. There would be other times to bait Arthur; this was not one of them. Half an hour later, Kyra was asleep again, on her father's lap. The back door burst open just then, and Ron and Harry came rushing in. Both young men looked dumbstruck at the unbelieveable sight before them; Lucius Malfoy sitting at the kitchen table with Ginny, Molly and Arthur having coffee and poundcake. Ron spoke first, "We were in the office when we heard! We went over to the house first."

"They think the fire was deliberately set," Harry said.

Lucius looked at Ginny, "Thank Merlin you two were over here." She could tell he felt guilty.

"Mom, Dad, do you mind if Kyra and I stay here?" Ginny asked meekly.

Molly smiled but Lucius spoke first, "If the fire was deliberately set, someone is trying to get to you, Ginevra. I think you and Kyra would be safer at the Manor."

Molly said stiffly, "She'll be just fine here. We have our wards."

"Which I might remind you were broken quite easily by Death Eaters in the past," Lucius simply stated as Molly gasped, immediately offended.

Arthur, who had remained quiet up until now, spoke, "Ginny, as much as it pains me to admit it, Lucius is correct. Even on raids we could not get into the Manor without being admitted."

Ginny looked at her father in shock of what he was encouraging her to do. "I don't know..."

"It can't be good to move Kyra back and forth. She needs stability. You two will be moving to the Manor soon anyway," explained Lucius.

"What difference does it make? Kyra will be here most mornings for her tutoring anyway," Molly said.

"Not until the wards can be increased." Lucius looked at Molly. "Perhaps, you could continue with the other children at the Manor as well"

"What say in this do I get?" Ginny asked.

"I think we should allow the two of you to discuss this. Harry, Molly, Ron; let's go look at the wards that are currently on the house," Arthur encouraged. The four stepped out of the house, leaving Ginny and Lucius at the table.

"I need to know you're both safe, Ginevra." Lucius knew she had to feel like she had a choice in the matter.

"I know. It's just everything is changing so fast. What will Kyra think if we move in? I don't want her to think I have loose morals."

He sneered at the thought. "As much at I want you, my love, for now you will have your own room, next to Kyra's, like in L.A."

"You really want us there?"

"Of course. But it's up to you. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do."

"We'll move in,--not that we have anything." She began to cry at the thought.

"Well, we'll take care of that. Are you ready to head over there? It's late and we should get her to bed." He wanted to comfort her physically, but the sleeping child prevented that, which was good because the others returned at that moment.

"Well Ginny, what are you going to do?" Molly asked.

"We're going to head to the Manor, but Mum, do you have a nightgown I could use for tonight?"

"Of course, and Kyra left her one nightgown here the last time she was here It's in her room." Ginny and Molly headed upstairs to fetch things.

Arthur looked at Harry and Ron, using only his eyes to tell them to go to the living room. After they left. Arthur's eyes bore holes in Lucius. "I'm only going to say this once because I can see how Ginny feels about you. I think we both know how we feel about each other, so I will be civil to you, becuase of her. But if you hurt either of them in any way, I will kill you!"

Lucius looked down at his own daughter, wanting badly to curse Arthur. Then he looked back up at the other man. "Is that a threat?"

"No. A promise," he said evenly. Ginny and Molly could be heard on the stairs again.

"What's going on here?" Ginny asked.

"We're just getting a better understanding of each other," Lucius said to Ginny.

"Oh. Well, I think we got everything; we can leave now if you're ready."

Lucius rose from his chair. "Thank you, Molly, for the coffee and cake. I will send a house elf to collect you and the other children on Monday."

Ginny held the back door open for Lucius, who was still holding Kyra. They headed into the yard to Apparate to the Manor. Once they arrived there, they took Kyra up to the room they had previously picked for her. It still needed to be redecorated for a little girl, but the bed was more than big enough. The room was decorated in sandy browns. They magicked Kyra out of her clothing and into her night gown without waking her. As they walked out of the room, Lucius warded it. "If she wakes up in the night, the wards will go off in my room. I want you to get a good night's sleep tonight. I'm sure you need it."

"I don't think I can sleep," Ginny replied.

"Still have you adrenaline running?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Let's go sit in the sitting room of my suite. We can talk there and if Kyra wakes, we'll know right away." She nodded, and he guided her down the hall. "It's amazing what adrenaline can do to you, isn't it?" he said as they reached his suite. He opened the door, revealing a living room type room that was done in tan and sage green. "Can I get a house elf to bring you something to eat?"

"No thank you." She looked down at her clothing. "I reek of smoke. Maybe I should go back to my room and change into Mum's nightgown."

"I really don't want to see you in anything of your mother's. Come with me." He took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He stopped at his dresser and pulled out a pair of black silk pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He handed them to her. "Why don't you take a shower first. I just need to head downstairs for a couple of minutes. I'll be back. Go on, use my shower."

She smiled at him and nodded. He headed to the door. "Lucius, thank you," she called out. He turned and smiled at her, then left the room. She turned towards the bathroom and entered. It was all marble and cream in color. There were two sinks, a tub big enough for two, and a shower stall bigger than the whole bathroom she had at the house. Next to the shower were some fluffy white towels. As she went to take off her shirt, there was a knock on the door. She opened it. There was Sully, the house elf, smiling at her.

"Master asked mes to bring this to yous, Mistress," he said. In his hands were bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body soap. "If you need anything else, just tell Sully and Sully will get them for you. And Mistress, Sully is very happy yous and little miss are here to stay," he added.

"Thank you, Sully." She smiled at the elf and closed the door. Ginny took her shower and felt so much better. As she pulled on Lucius' pajamas, she laughed at how much bigger they were than her body. She had to roll them up both at the waist and the legs, then pulled on the t-shirt. She looked around for an elastic and put her hair in a loose braid. As she left the bathroom, she was laughing at herself.

"I'm glad to see you laughing; what is it you're laughing at?" Lucius had changed as well. He too was wearing jammy pants and a robe.

"I did not think you knew what a t-shirt was, never mind having one," she teased.

"It's not a t shirt; it's an undershirt. Come, let's sit down." He led her back to the sitting room." I picked us a bottle of wine. I find it helps to calm the nerves." There was also a plate of fruit sitting there.

"I would think in the past there were many times you needed to calm your nerves,"she smiled at him. As she took her seat, she finished, "Lucius, can we talk about some of your activities as a Death Eater? I just want to better understand why people would try to hurt Kyra."

"Ginevra, look at your own family. Had you died in the Chamber, they would want to come after me." He poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her.

"I guess, Lucius. You must realize by now that I realize exactly who you are. I don't think there's much of anything you could tell me that would change how I feel." She drew her feet up under herself and faced him.

"You're truly amazing. I'm beginning to think you could forgive Voldemort if he asked you to."

"If Tom was truly sorry, yeah, but I don't think he was capable of that. I really wonder what went so wrong that he turned out so evil," she said. He looked her in the eye.

"Even now, very few people are brave enough to say Voldemort, and other than Dumbledore, you are the only person who calls him Tom," Lucius surmised.

"It was what I first knew him as. I remember you saying that about his name that day on Diagon Alley. You really made an impression on me."

"Oh, really?" he smiled arrogantly.

"Well, besides being mean, you were still very handsome." Before he could say anything, she continued. "Don't go getting too smug now."

"Well, it's not every day one hears that an eleven-year-old thinks they're handsome."

"Well, before I met you I believed you would look like a troll, so anything was an improvement."As she teased, her eyes flashed with mischief. He reached out and at the same time as pulling her close, he started tickling her.

"A troll?" he questioned as he continued his gentle assault of her.

"Stop - please – Stop! Lucius!"she got out between bursts of laughter. He finally stopped, then kissed her softly. They sat quiet for a time. "Thanks again for the change of clothes."

"Yes, well, as much as I like seeing you in my clothes, I think tomorrow we are going to have to take you and Kyra shopping for a lot of new things."

"I was thinking about that in the shower," she said quietly. She pulled away from him and they looked at each other.

He could tell what she was thinking and knew he would have to word what he wanted to say very carefully. "I want to buy all of your and Kyra's things."

"No, Lucius, I can do it," she said. She still had her pride.

"Ginevra, listen to me. I have found your style to be the best you could do and I have never been ashamed to be seen with you. However, being that you have been solely responsible for yourself and Kyra, you have not spent the same amount on yourself that you would have if you did not have a child. I simply want to spoil both of you. I promise I will not say one word about what you pick. But please allow me to do this."

"I don't..."

"Ginevra, you're going to be my wife and I will soon be providing for both of you. Does a few weeks really make that big a difference?" he asked. He then saw anger in her eyes.

"Lucius, I'm not just going to sit back and become some kind of trophy wife, doing nothing all day," she retorted.

"I never asked you to. What I'm asking is that once we're married, you allow me to take responsibility for both of you. If you want to keep working, that's fine. I would prefer it if you did not, but I will not make you do anything you don't want to. As for the money you make from working, I don't care what you do with it. There are accounts already set up for the running of this house, which you will be in charge of. And tomorrow we will set up one for your own personal use that I will never question the spending from. I hope you understand."

"Okay." She smiled. "Can I ask you something?"

"You already did," he teased, as he pulled her into their favorite position.

"Well, Sully seems pretty happy here, but I don't know if you were aware that Dobby got himself a job at Hogwarts, and he did not - why was he so unhappy here?"

Lucius shook his head and exhaled. "Why do you care?"

"Once he came to Hogwarts, he was always very kind to me. He seemed to feel bad about the Chamber thing, like he thought he should have done something to stop it."

"Dobby was very odd for a house elf. He always wanted more than the normal. Yes, I mistreated him. He was never a good servant. He had a tendency to exaggerate things and he was far too willful for his own good. If I did not mistreat him, the other elves would get the wrong idea." He placed a kiss on her head. "I think tomorrow you will meet Patty, Dobby's sister. She will be your elf. I fear Sully is developing a crush on you."

Ginny laughed, "Oh, really? Yes, we're having a passionate affair! Didn't you know?" she teased. He looked repulsed. "Lucius, come on! I'm not about to run off with any elf," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Do you feel ready for bed?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so. I just wish I could sleep in your arms," she said as she snuggled closer to him.

"Then stay here tonight."

"I can't. If Kyra woke up and found us together-" she said sadly.

"With the wards on her room, we will know the second she wakes up. I can be at her room before she even gets to the bedroom door. Stay. I promise I will just hold you. I meant what I said about waiting until we're married," he explained as he stroked the soft skin of her arm.

"You really want me to stay?"

"I would never say it if I didn't mean it."

"Okay, I'll stay. Just for tonight. Tomorrow, once Kyra knows where we are, I'll be staying in the other room. She sometimes comes and joins me in bed."

"Let's head to bed then." They both got up and headed to his bed. As she climbed in, she noticed how soft the sheets were. They made her old sheets feel like sandpaper. She watched as he removed his robe, now wearing only the bottoms of his pajamas. He climbed in too. "Roll over," he gently ordered and then spooned her small body to his. The lights went out on their own. "Nothing will ever harm you here, Ginevra."

"I love you," she murmured, and her voice made her sound very small.

"I love you as well. I want you to sleep for as long as you need tomorrow. I will deal with Kyra,"he said into her hair.

"Thank you," she said, half asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

As Ginny woke the next morning, she could tell she was alone in Lucius' bed. She closed her eyes, trying to remember how it felt to fall asleep in his arms. She slowly rolled over in the large bed, realizing she could still smell him. His scent lingered on his pillow; she reached out and pulled the pillow close to her, inhaling deeply. _Oh God! I've really got it bad, s_he thought to herself. She looked around the room, realizing for the first time that the room was not all green, silver and black like she always thought it would be. To her, it just went to show that there was more to Lucius than everyone believed. She began to realize she had to pee and that she was quite hungry too. After she finished in the bathroom, she looked around for her clothes. They had been neatly folded and left sitting on top of Lucius' dresser. As she picked them up, she noticed the house elf had washed them for her. Even though no one was there, she gave a smile of thanks.

Ginny returned to the bathroom and closed the door to change her clothing. She then slowly began freeing her hair from the braid which had held it overnight. The fact that she did not even have her own hairbrush hit her as she looked in the mirror; while trying to fix her hair with her finger, she began to weep. She stood there at the bathroom counter sobbing so hard she never heard Lucius knock on the door or enter the room. She felt him wrap his arms around her and gently pull her towards himself. She twisted around and continued to cry into his chest. "Go on, let in out," he whispered. This just made her cry harder, but he did not move. After some time, he spoke again, "I was worried because this did not happen last night. It's okay."

"Everything is gone! I don't even have a hair brush," Ginny sobbed.

Lucius, who never shared anything in his whole life, grabbed his own brush, then led Ginny to a chair in the sitting room. Once he sat her down, he said softly, "We will buy you a new one today; until then you can use mine." Then he slowly began brushing her hair for her. He enjoyed watching the different shades of copper, red, gold and auburn within her hair. He spoke as he brushed, "Kyra was up early this morning. She's very excited about going shopping today."

"She has always loved shopping, that one." Ginny was calming down now.

"Feeling a little better now?" he asked as he put the brush down.

Ginny rose, turning to look at him. His face looked very soft. "Yes. Thank you for being so caring and understanding."

"Of course; you are my family now. How else would I be?" he kissed her softly. This was a face very few ever saw. "Let's get you something to eat, then we should head out. We have a lot to do today." He then took her hand and they headed down to the dining room for breakfast.

They arrived at the dining room to find Kyra enjoying two of her favorite pastimes; hopping up and down, and quizzing Draco. Draco looked up and offered a smile. "Ginny, I hope today goes better than yesterday. And your Mother Floo'd. She wants you to call her."

"Mummy! Mummy! Daddy told me we're going to live here from now on and we're going shopping today!" Kyra said as she ran up to Ginny and hugged her.

"That's right honey. Mum is just going to Floo grandma." She turned to Lucius, "Lucius, can I use the Floo?"

"Ginevra, this is your home now; you need not ask," he told her. "Why don't you use the Floo in the drawing room?"

"Thanks." She headed for for the drawing room. She returned a short time later to find Lucius and Draco telling Kyra how great Slytherin was. She kissed Kyra's head. "Sweetheart, it does not matter which house you end up in, but I do think it will be Slytherin. Unless something about you changes." Lucius rose and pulled out a chair for Ginny.

"What was it your mother wanted?" he inquired.

"I think mostly to check on us. But she also said that everyone is going through all their pictures to gather ones of Kyra to replace the ones that we lost."

After they finished eating, the three of them headed out to begin their shopping. After a couple of shops Ginny stopped in front of a lingerie store. "Lucius, why don't you go ahead with Kyra to the toy store? I'll meet you there in about forty-five minutes or so."

He looked at the shop, then at her and chuckled, "Ginevra, I'm going to be seeing you in the things you buy all too soon anyway."

"I know that; I would just prefer if they were a surprise. You said you wanted to spoil us; well, go to the toy store and spoil Kyra all you want!" she ordered.

Kyra's head popped out of the world of pretend she was in. "Toy store Daddy! Please can we go?"

Lucius still looked as if he would rather join Ginny, so she pulled out her secert weapon, "Yes, Kyra. Daddy is going to take you there and buy you lots of new stuff."

Kyra's eyes glazed over at the idea; normally a trip to the toy store was just to look, not to buy, and if she did get something, it was only one thing. "Lots of stuff!" she said excitedly and grabbed Lucius' hand. "Come on, Daddy! I can't wait!"

He looked scornfully at Ginny. "You don't play fair!"

She smiled at him. "Of course not! I live in a house full of Slytherins! If I played fair, I would not even be in the game. Now go, before she makes a scene." She watched as they headed down Diagon Alley, Kyra dragging Lucius along. They then stopped and he bent down to Kyra, telling her something. As they rose and started walking again, Kyra was walking much more ladylike. Ginny shook her head, then headed in the shop.

She purchased several pairs of matching bras and panties, a couple specialty bras as well, and a few nightgowns. She then headed out to catch up with them. When she found them in the toy store, there was a clerk with them writing down everything Lucius told her they were buying. It was clear that if Kyra had even looked at something, Lucius intended on buying it. Ginny whispered in his ear, "Who would have guessed a four year old little girl would be your downfall?" He simply sneered at her, which she laughed off. After a couple more minutes, Ginny spoke, this time to Kyra, "I think that's more than enough for today."

Lucius replied, "You lost the power to say I was spoiling her too much when you would not allow me to join you in the last shop. Don't listen to Mummy about this today, Princess." Ginny simply shook her head, then stood back and watched. A half hour later they emerged from the shop. Kyra was holding a new doll and everything else she got was being delivered to the Manor.

"I think you two single handedly equalled the store's normal sales for the week," Ginny said.

"I missed four years of Christmases and birthdays," Lucius pointed out. Ginny gave him a small sad smile. "Come, we still have more shopping to do."

"I think she wants to play with her doll, so we should stop for lunch or she'll get cranky soon," warned Ginny.

After a few more hours of shopping, Ginny and Kyra both had enough outfits to clothe an army, as well as their basic personal needs. Ginny finally convinced Lucius that she could do the rest over the next couple of days. When they arrived back at the Manor, Ginny went through the clothing to decide what she wanted washed before she or Kyra wore it. With Kyra helping, of course, they also picked out the nightgowns they wanted to wear that night. One in particular Ginny would have in the past said no to even buying, but Lucius insisted Kyra needed. Ginny was not sure who was worse, Kyra or Lucius. The man was almost like a little kid today, she thought. If Kyra even looked at something he had been willing to buy it. For the first time in her life, Ginny was pleased to have to think about how a color would go with her red hair. It was her only savior today. However, even at that, she still wanted to string up a few sales clerks for offering something Ginny vetoed in another color.

After dinner, which was later than usual because of the spending spree, Kyra wanted Lucius to put her to bed. So when he headed up with her, Ginny went to see if she could remember the way to the library. Lucius had offered to show her, but she insisted on finding it herself. She felt if she had to find her own way it would help in remembering where things were. After finding it, and a book to read, Ginny was about to head back to her room when Draco entered the library. As he offered a warm smile, she greeted him, "Hello, Kyra missed you at dinner."

Draco looked a little surprised at that. "Hello, how did the shopping go?"

She felt a little embarrassed about the money Lucius spent on them. "Good, I think, but you could have warned me about allowing Lucius in a toy store."

"Now what kind of big brother would I be to Kyra if I did that? Bought the shop out, did he?" She smiled and shook her head. "What?" They moved over to the chairs that were in the room.

"I'm still having a hard time believing you're the same person I went to Hogwarts with. But I like this person. I don't think Ron or Harry would ever believe me if I tried to tell them how nice you've been." Draco sat down first and Ginny followed in the seat across from him.

"Well, you're not bad when you're not trying to hex me, either."

"If I ask you something, will you answer it honestly?" she looked at him from under her lashes.

"I would have to hear the question first," he stated.

"How do you really feel about all of this? I mean Kyra, and now Lucius and I getting married?"

He looked at her as if considering his answer carefully, "Ginny, when Father first told me about Kyra, I was not sure what to think. I've been the heir to everything that is Malfoy. It's a lot to live up to, and we both know I've tried, to the point of even taking the Dark Mark. But now, I don't feel like whether this pure blood line dies out or not is up to me. And part of me was even worried that Father would not get the chance to know her, but you have shown that your ability to forgive is extreme. I also know that Father and Mother were never in love. I'm happy to see how happy he is. I'm perfectly fine with it. I can't say I'm jumping for joy at the thought of Kyra's next birthday party, what with all those Weasleys." He gave a shudder at the very thought. "Just keep him happy."

"I'll try my best. Draco, Lucius said I could make any changes to the decor I wanted. I was just wondering if there was any room that you want to remain the way your mother had it."

"Mother changed the decor continually, but there's a flower garden off the north wing. Would you leave that please?"

She nodded and noticed Draco looking toward the door. Ginny looked over to see Lucius standing there."I was beginning to think you got lost," he said as he walked into the room and over to them. "What are you two talking about?" he asked as he glanced down at the book Ginny had chosen.

"Just getting more comfortable with each other," Draco replied.

Lucius nodded, and Ginny asked. "Did she give you any problems?"

"No, but I think I gave myself a problem." Ginny and Draco looked at each other a little confused. "I was telling Kyra a story about a kitten and she asked if she could have one," he stated, ending the confusion.

"Please tell me you did not say yes. I don't think she's ready for that kind of responsibility."

He shook his head. "A pet would teach her that, don't you think?"

"I guess it could, but you did not answer my question. What did you tell her?" she pressed.

"I told her I would think about it. Will you relax; I made no promises."

"On that note, I have to be heading up now. I have a new intern starting tomorrow," Draco said as he got up from his chair.

"Who made the final cut?" Lucius inquired.

"Astoria Greengrass. I have not seen her since school, but she sounds promising. Good night Father, Ginny." He then left the room.

Lucius took hold of her, pulling her up towards him. "I don't think I've kissed you properly today." Ginny simply smiled. Lucius' lips came down on hers. Once they broke apart he spoke again, "How many days til Christmas?"

"About forty-five, I think."

"That's about fory-five days too many," he said as he began kissing her neck.

"We don't have to wait; we could go upstairs now." He could see the desire in her eyes, which surprised him more than her words. He took her hand and then sat in the chair that she sat in earlier, pulling her into his lap.

"I want you so much it hurts, and I'm sure before the wedding I will curse myself for not taking you upstairs by now, but I said we'd wait and we will."

"Lucius, it's not like we have never been together. And I want to." she breathed, then began to kiss him very passionately. She slowly made her way to his neck with a soft trail of kisses.

He sighed deeply; he could not help enjoying what she was doing but he finally spoke, "Ginevra-" she continued. "Ginevra-" he finally grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them in place; the other hand took hold of her chin. Looking directly into her eyes, he said, "Ginevra, I would hardly call that being together. I know with you not having any experience, this might not make much sense now but it will later: I know that every girl is told that their first time is something very sepcial, and that most girls really don't understand it until it's far too late. They mostly think about the pain involved. The truth of the matter is that the very first time you freely give yourself to someone is what is so special. Yes, men feel a mental rush at the idea of breaking a hymen. And don't take this the wrong way, but I must admit I love the fact that I took your virginity, despite the fact that I despise the condition it happened under. But more so that you will in the near future give yourself to me freely and willingly for the first time, I want your first real time to be very special. Something you'll happily look back on. We will wait, but please let's not make it any harder than it has to be by offering to do things before the wedding. We will have lots of time to make up for it on our honeymoon."

The next morning, Ginny, Lucius, Draco and Kyra were all up and in the dining room, all at different points in their breakfast. Draco left first, then Lucius bid goodbye to Ginny and Kyra and went to head out. He was almost out the door when Ginny came after him. "Lucius, there's something I need to ask you."

He stopped and waited for her. Once she reached him he asked, "What is it, my dear?"

"Lucius, I just needed- no, wanted to know --" She hesitated.,"Are there any places in the Manor that a curious young child could possibly come to harm in?"

He looked at her. Anyone else he would have cursed on the spot. "I would never intentionally put my family in any kind of danger. This house is perfectly safe."

She smiled at him, "I'm sorry, but I had to ask."

He reached up and touched her cheek. "Don't be sorry. You were simply worried about my child as well as her friends. What time will you be done your errands today?"

"Work stuff, about noon. Then after lunch I was going to take Kyra out the get some play clothes. I don't want her to ruin her beautiful outfits. And I have to stop in at the Ministry, about the fire. I'll see you at dinner," she explained and kissed him lightly.

Once Molly arrived with Teddy and Vicky, Ginny showed them the play room that had been reestablished. It had been Draco's when he was young, but now also had most of the toys from the shopping trip. The children set to playing intently. "Mum, you're going to just die when you see this." Ginny led her mother through the door on the far side of the room. Inside there was a small classroom, with anything and everything a teacher could ever need. "Lucius said that up until now, Malfoys have all had private tutors, and that they felt learning needed to happen in a structured environment. Of course, even though things are happening here, as always what you do and how you do it is entirely up to you. Please feel free to use this room if you want."

Molly looked at her youngest child. She was worried about how Ginny was doing after the fire, but she seemed fine. "Well, your father and Harry were going to see if they could hurry things along about the wards at home. For any more wards, we need Ministry approval first."

"Yes, Lucius said he was going to stop by and talk with Daddy today."

"And you're not worried?" Molly asked surprised.

"No. They both love me and would not want to upset me. Besides, since I found out about why Lucius always gave Dad such a hard time, well, let's just say that is no longer an issue," Ginny smiled slyly.

"What, Ginny?" Molly asked.

"Mum, you haven't seen the ballroom for the wedding yet. We can talk down there." Ginny indicated to the little ears of the three children. "I can have Patty watch them for a few minutes." After they left the room and were headed down to the ballroom, Ginny explained, "First, if I tell you, you must promise not to tell Dad or anyone. I should not even be telling you, but from my understanding of it, it seems Narcissa had a bit of a thing for Dad her first year at Hogwarts."

"Now that makes a little more sense. Of course I won't say a word, but Ginny," Molly gently reprimanded, "you know if Lucius told you that, maybe you should not have told me. Both you and your husband need to know you can trust each other with things." Ginny looked like she suddenly felt very bad. "Don't worry, we all make mistakes in our marriages. And I will never breathe a word of it to anyone."

Ginny left shortly after and headed down to Diagon Alley. As she was finishing in Gringotts, she caught sight of Lucius. He came over to her. "This was unexpected," he greeted. "I thought you would have been done by now."

"I had planned on it, but I took some extra time showing Mum the ballroom." They stood in the lobby of the bank. "Well, I still need to get down to the Ministry."

"That's my next stop as well. We may as well go together." He offered her his arm. She smiled and took it.They walked out of the bank together. They still would get looks from some people; it never bothered Ginny. She was with the man who loved her, and if no one understood why she loved him, that was their problem, not hers. At the Leaky Cauldron, they each grabbed a coffee, then headed to the Ministry for Magic. Once there, they parted ways. Ginny had to speak with the fire investigators. As she headed to their office, she thought about the fact that Lucius was heading up to speak to her father and Harry. Ron would most likely be there too. She could only shake her head that the four of them would be in the same room together, of their own free wills, all wanting a common goal: to keep Kyra safe. It was truly amazing what love could do. She figured Tom was probably spinning in his grave at the idea.

But maybe this was good. If they all had to work together for a common goal, each one of them would see that the others weren't all bad. She knew they would never be best friends or even good friends, but the more they all understood each other, the better it would be for Kyra.

She was still thinking about this as she left the Ministry and headed back to Diagon Alley. She had forgotten about an appointment for a dress fitting and only remembered because someone had asked if her wedding gown had been lost in the fire. As she stood at the entrance to Diagon Alley waiting for it to open, Severus Snape came up to her. "The next time someone burns your home down, I would appreciate a Floo call to at least tell me you're alright," he sneered.

She looked at him, stunned for a second. Had they not been standing in the middle of a public place, she would have given him a hug. "Severus, I'm sorry. You're right. It was wrong of me."

"Yes it was, Ginny. I have spent more time worrying about you than anyone else. Is there any word on who set the fire?"

"No. They know it was intentionally set and by a very strong spell, but they don't know much more at this point. They said it could take weeks before they know for sure." She had long since learned that there was one look she could give him which always caused him to smile; she used it now, looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

Once he smiled, he said, "You got what you wanted; now please stop that."

"Well, I just had this wonderful idea! I was kind of hoping you might help me with something."

"What would that be?" he sighed.

"Well, you know Lucius, and you're a man, and I value what you think. I have to go for a fitting of my wedding gown now and I was hoping you would come with me and tell me what you think."

"Let me see if I have this straight; you want me to go into a bridal salon?"

She gave him the look a second time. "Please, Severus! I want a man's opinion. And somehow, I don't think Dad or the boys would be right." Growing up with six brothers did have its advantages. Ginny had learned at a young age how to get what she wanted most of the time from the opposite sex.

"Ginny, while I'm pleased you value my opinion that much, I know nothing about fashion. I'm not the right person for this. Why don't you see if Draco would join you next time?" he asked softy, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Draco?" she questioned.

"Yes, I'm sure he would be better. And I really don't have time today. I have a class in half an hour."

She put on a pout. "Okay, but only if you promise to come by the Manor on the weekend. Kyra and I moved in."

"Well, you both will be much safer there. Yes, I'll come by on Saturday"

She smiled. "Okay, I'll see you then."

**A/N- Please leave me a brithday persent in the form of a review!!**


	21. A New Normal

Chapter twenty one

A New Normal

The work week passed quickly and before Ginny knew it, it was Friday. She had spent the day finishing redecorating Kyra's room. The child was thrilled; she had asked if her room could be green and pink. To Ginny's relief, Kyra picked a mint green and pale pink. Ginny added a little pale yellow and all the wood was painted white as well. It looked very nice. The queen size bed was gone and replaced with a double bed. In front of the fireplace was a loveseat that was meant for reading bedtime stories. There was a desk with a couple of shelves for books, which were filled with Kyra's favorites.

After working all day, Ginny and Kyra both bathed and then changed for dinner. Kyra had wanted to play in the playroom. Lucius had enchantments placed on the room so that she could play alone while the adults did other things. Ginny had headed down to check on dinner. She was in the hall about to go back and check on Kyra when Draco arrived home. She stopped and smiled at him. "Good evening."

"Evening." he muttered. He seemed at little annoyed.

"Was it a hard day?" she asked as she came a little closer to him.

He nodded. "That new intern! I swear I'm going to kill her! She's driving me nuts."

Ginny allowed a small laugh to escape. "Is she that bad?"

"No, no. She just questions everything we do."

"Oh. Uhm, Draco? I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?" he asked as he removed his cloak, handing it to Sully.

Ginny wondered which was the best way to ask him. "I need your help with something. I was wondering, seeing as how you're a man, and I don't think my father or brothers would do it, I'm – I want a man who also knows Lucius, um, to come with me to my next dress fitting."

He smirked at her. "You want my opinion on your wedding gown?"

"Look, I know it's completely unorthodox, but the dress that's being made for me is not the normal wedding gown and I don't want to disappoint or upset Lucius. Please would you come?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I asked Severus, but he begged off claiming to know nothing about fashion and suggested you instead." She decided to try flirting a little to get her way, giving him the same look that worked on all the other men in her life. "Please! I'm really worried."

He exhaled. "Fine, but you have to do something for me." She worried instantly, realizing that this was Draco Malfoy, the total ass from school; not just one of her brothers. "Relax, I'm not about to ask for something unreasonable. I just want to piss off Ron. At lunch today I heard he had plans to go out tonight. Let me take Kyra out for dinner. I want to see the look on his face when he sees you trust me enough to be alone with her. Besides, how much alone time do you and Father really get?"

She smiled and offered her hand. "I'm glad to see you have not changed completely. You have a deal, as long as you promise not to fight with him in front of her. Even if I don't get along with him, he's still her uncle, and he still is not accepting the fact that I'm marrying your father."

"Even better. Look, I'm going to go change. Can she be ready in a half hour? And let her wear one of the fancier dresses she got." He headed down the hall. "And Ginny? Thanks for trusting me," he called back.

The door opened once more and this time it was Lucius. Ginny had to admit her face lit up upon seeing him. "Hello, Lucius."

His face softened. "Ginevra, you look lovely as always," he said as he took his cloak off.

"Thank you. How was your day?" she asked. After he answered, she explained about Draco's plans to take Kyra out for dinner.

"Then what would you like to do with the evening?"

"Well, I finished Kyra's room today, so I would really rather stay here tonight. We could go over a few things for the wedding."

Once Ginny got Kyra changed for the third time that day, she and Draco headed out. Ginny and Lucius enjoyed dinner together, then headed down to the ballroom to discuss placement of things. Ginny had her back to Lucius when the lights dimmed and soft music filled the room. Turning and looking at him, she asked, "Lucius, what's going on?"

He smiled smugly at her and took her hand. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

She smiled as she looked down at his hand and nodded, allowing him to pull her close. She was not surprised to find out he was an amazing dancer. To her, it felt like they were floating on air as they moved in time to the music. When the song came to an end, Lucius pulled her even closer, bringing his lips to hers. After the kiss ended, he said, "I will always end each dance with you with a kiss. It may only be on your hand if we are in public, but just be aware and expect it."

"Lucius, did I mention that Severus is coming for lunch tomorrow?" He nodded. "Were you still planning on asking him to be your best man?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'll do it at lunch."

The next day, after Severus arrived, lunch and conversation had gone smoothly. It never stopped amazing Ginny how male friendships worked. She had seen within her own family how men could go months, even years, without talking, then just pick up again like no time had passed. She once believed that it was just something about her family's forgiving nature. But Lucius held no hard feelings about the fact that Snape had been willing to kill him over Ginny. Lucius had told Ginny about the tormenting Snape had done while Lucius and Ginny were apart. Yet here they were behaving as if nothing had happened.

Lucius was in the parlour with Severus, Draco, and Kyra when out in the hall a male voice could be heard, quickly getting louder. "I don't care, Ginny! He's a Death Eater!" The men looked at each other, then they moved to the doorway. Looking out, they could see Ginny standing at the entrance with Ron. Ginny was saying something; her voice was not loud so they could not tell for sure what she was saying.

Kyra came up and tugged on Severus' robes. "Uncle Severus, what's going on?"

He knelt down to her. "Nothing you need to worry about. I want you to go back to your playing and stay in here no matter what happens. Go on."

At that moment, Ron could be heard saying, "Merlin, Ginny! Do you even think about the horrible things he's done when he's touching you? You told us all he raped you! I'm beginning to think that it did not happen that way! You seem to enjoy these Snakes a little too much! You probably enjoyed the fact that he was fucking you! You're nothing but a Death Eater whore! Tell me little sister; how many of those Death Eaters have you fucked?"

In that second, Lucius was at Ginny's side, his wand pulled out and ready to cast an Unforgiveable. Ginny jumped in front of Lucius' wand. "No, Lucius!" she could see the anger in his eyes. He was ready to kill. "He's not worth it!"

Snape and Draco were also there. "Oh, I see you're about to have an orgy!"

Severus disarmed him within a second. He handed Ron's wand to Draco and took hold of him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him towards the fireplace, grabbing a handful of Floo powder, then saying, "Don't try to speak of things you know nothing of! The Burrow!" He threw the powder into the fireplace and tossed Ron in. After the young man disappeared, he warded it so Ron could not return. He then turned to Draco, "Let's check on Kyra," he said; he was back to his calm self. He and Draco then returned to the parlour.

"Are you okay?" Lucius asked Ginny as he placed a hand on each side of her face, gently stroking her cheeks with his thumbs.

She nodded, then said, "Lucius, I think he wanted you to use an Unforgiveable. That way he could have you locked up. I don't want that. Kyra needs you. I need you!" She pulled him close to her.

"I will not allow anyone to speak of you like that," spat Lucius.

"We both know what happened that night," she said, hugging him tightly.

"Yes, and as long as we do, nothing else matters." She did not let go of him. "Have things like this been said about you before?"

"No, not really. I mean, he implied that the reason I was willing to marry you was because of something that happened with Tom's diary. Ron has always been that way. He feels he was never good enough; youngest of five brothers and then finally a sister. He has a real need to be the center of attention. He really holds a grudge. He never grew up. But he wanted you to do something so he could say that they were right about you. I love you; please don't ever let him get a reaction from you. We need you too much."

Lucius looked into Ginny's eyes and placed his arms on her shoulders. "Not to worry, my love." He kissed her lightly.

"Lucius, you were ready to cast an Unforgiveable on him. Of course I'm worried."

"Ginevra, for him, your own brother, to say something like that is unforgiveable. And we would be lying to ourselves if we said that the actions of Kyra's conception were anything less than a sore spot for us."

A couple of hours later, Harry placed a very carefully worded Floo call to Malfoy Manor. After Ginny told him what had taken place, even Harry was speechless. "Ginny, that's not how the rest of us feel; I don't really think that's how Ron really feels. But I'm not going to make excuses for him. However, he needs his wand back, if only for work. Could I come by and pick it up?"

Later that evening, Ginny had entered tha library to find a book to read while in bed. She was not surprised to find Draco in there. She had learned it seemed to be his favourite place in the house. He was reading a book and Ginny did not want to disturb him. As she went to exit and close the door to leave him alone, he looked up at her. "Ginny, wait!" She stopped dead and waited for him. "Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened today."

Ginny was puzzled. "For what?" He got up and came over to her.

"About what happened with the Weasel. It was my fault."

She shook her head. "Ron is the only one who is to blame."

"No, I baited him. But I never believed he would say the things he did today."

"Yes, you did bait him but Ron should have been expecting something. He's a big boy, he just needs to grow up. A lot."

"By the way, I think it's amazing that you could forgive Father. I mean, I don't know if I was in the same position if I could forgive as easily. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you."

"I'm sorry, Draco, but I'm really not comfortable talking about this with you."

It was at that moment that Draco realized just how personal this conversation had become. "Of course. I'm sorry."

"Good night, Draco." She then headed up to get Kyra in bed but when she got to Kyra's room, Lucius was already there. He and Kyra were both on their knees next to her bed. She was saying her prayers. Ginny stood in the doorway watching. Once Kyra finished, she climbed into bed.

Ginny continued to watch as Lucius bent over and he and Kyra gave each other what she called butterfly kisses. All of this happened without either one saying a word, then Kyra finally asked, "Daddy, what are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I thought we would go down to the stables and feed the horses."

"'Kay, Daddy. I like that. Good night." Lucius turned down the lights, then left the room. Ginny had moved away from the door. As Lucius stepped out of the room, he smiled at Ginny.

"That was really sweet," she observed. He took her hand and they walked into his room. They both sat on the sofa.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Lucius, really. It's not the first time Ron has made a total ass of himself."

"Still, words can have a very damaging effect," he admitted.

"True, but Lucius, don't worry." He smiled at her. "I'm getting the feeling that what he said is affecting you more than me."

"Ginevra, of course it would affect me. I stole your innocence that night."

She stood up. He could tell she was angry. "Lucius, stop this now! I know you feel guilty, but stop for one minute and hear me out. That night, even as Tom told you to do it, I had a vision of how it would happen. It's based on the person I then believed you to be. I remember thinking that it would last for hours, that the whole time you would mock me, that you would hurt me just to hurt me, that you would leave me for dead afterwards. And instead, you were kind. Yes, it hurt but I know that's quite normal for the first time. You had this look in your eyes; I knew you did not want to do it. I don't even know how many times you said 'I'm sorry,' and after, you even told me how to lessen the pain of the Cruciatus curse. I remember when you left me, I was thinking that more Death Eaters would come and rape me and even in that moment I remember thinking they would not be as kind about it as you were." She stepped closer to him and held out her hand. He reached out and stood up, his height towering over her. She looked up into his eyes, "I may have lost my innocence that night, but I received something much greater. If it weren't for that night, we would not be here now. Looking back, even if there was no Kyra, I don't regret that night for a second. Please, Lucius, believe me when I say I have no hard feelings toward you for that night. I know; would you use Legillimency on me? I want you to see it as I did." Her eyes were pleading.

"You would allow me to do that? You're willing to go through it again?" he asked. His hands were on her hips.

"Yes, for you. I don't fear the memories of it. And I've done this before."

His eyes grew wide. "When?" he asked.

"Once I found out about Kyra. I knew I would have to tell my family, and I knew they would want to understand why I would not press charges. So I asked Severus to view it so he could then comfirm what I said about how it went." He seemed surprised. "Severus seemed better than having one of my brothers or dad do it, and it was probably easier that way."

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"It's the only way for you to see it from my point of view." She pulled away from him. "I trust you, and I'm ready."

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her. She then showed him that evening from her point of view. He watched himself trying to get out of doing it, telling her he had no choice in the matter, telling her to try to relax, seeing the tears in his own eyes as he first entered her. Then he finally removed himself form her mind. There were no words for a moment like this. He did not have a clue what he should do. Ginny put her arms around him; she then looked up into his eyes. "Can I sleep here tonight?" He only nodded, holding her close.

Atfer transfiguring her clothing into a nightgown and changing clothes himself, they both climbed into his bed. He placed his arm around her, pulling her close to him with his stomach to her back. He then finally said, "I love you."

"I love you too." They spent the whole night in that position.


	22. The fight

Chapter twenty-two

The Fight

The time seemed to fly by. Ginny could not believe that it was the first day of December. In just over three weeks she would be Mrs. Ginevra Malfoy. But right now, she was standing in the dress shop about to come out and show Draco her dress. She took one last deep breath, then stepped out. Draco was lounging in a chair looking very bored. She had to admit he looked very out of place. He looked up at her and slowly rose; he looked surprised. He just stared at her for a long time. She was starting to think he did not like it. "Well?" she asked, almost scared of his answer.

"It's not the normal wedding gown," he said as he moved to look at her from the side.

"No," she replied, "but what do you think?"

"Hell, Ginny, I'd marry you in that! How are you planning on wearing your hair?"

"Down, I think." He frowned but nodded. "What, should I wear it up?" she asked, suddenly unsure of her first answer.

"No, down works," he reassured her.

"But what do you think Lucius will think of the dress?" Ginny persisted.

"Ginny, I don't think he would notice if you wore a burlap sack. But yes, I think he'll like it."

"Thanks for coming, Draco," she warmly smiled at him.

"No problem. Now I have to get back to the office before Astoria destroys the place. I'm really beginning to regret agreeing to take on an intern," he complained as he walked over to the chair his cloak was draped over.

"You'll be home for dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah, see you then." Draco then left. Ginny, however, had to wait for the designer to come and check her dress to see if it needed anything more done.

When Ginny returned home, she first went to the playroom, but Kyra was not there. Patty, Ginny's house elf, informed her that Kyra was in her bedroom, so Ginny headed up to her room. She knocked on the door and opened it at the same time. Kyra was laying on her bed in tears. "Kyra, honey?" Ginny rushed over to her child. She sat on the bed, pulling her child to her. "Tell me what's wrong?"

Kyra looked at her mother through her tear-stained eyes. "Daddy's very mad at me!" she sobbed.

"What happened, sweetheart?"

"He yelled and yelled at me! I don't love him anymore! I don't want to see him anymore! I want to go to Grandma and Grandpa's! I don't think he likes me anymore!"

"Honey, I'm sure he still loves you. Now before you go moving to Grandma's, let me go talk to your dad. Okay?"

"Fine, but I don't like him anymore!" Ginny left the girl's room and called Patty to inquire where Lucius was, then headed down to the study. She knocked on the closed door, which then magically swung open. Lucius looked up and smiled at her. As she walked into the room, he rose and came around to greet her.

"How did your fitting go?"

"Fine, thanks. Lucius, I just came from Kyra's room and she was quite upset." Ginny watched as the warm look that had been in his eyes froze out and was replaced with anger.

"Did she tell you what she had done?" he inquired.

"I did not ask; I was more worried about how upset she is," Ginny explained. "I wish you would have waited until I returned home."

"This could not wait," he said curtly.

"Lucius, she is really upset!"

"Good! Then maybe she will learn from this and not repeat the behavior. Ginny, I dealt with it. She is my daughter too, and I'm capable of dealing with things without you!"

"I never said you weren't, but the first time you had to, I would have liked to have been here for."

"You don't trust me to deal-" his voice was getting louder by the minute.

"Of course I trust you, but-"

"Then there's no buts. I said I dealt with it."

"Lucius, are you going to listen to reason?"

"This is not reason!" he bellowed.

"I can't talk to you when you're being like this!" she yelled back. She turned on her heel and went to walk away. Lucius grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"I don't think we're finished!"

"Until you're willing to talk to me like a civilized human being, we are!" She ripped her wrist out of his hand and left the room.

She stormed down the hall. Draco stepped out of the fireplace at that moment. He took one look at her and could tell she was pissed. He himself had caused this very behavior in her during their time at Hogwarts. "Ginny, what's wrong?" he asked.

She turned and looked at him, realizing he had been in Kyra's place in the past. "Your father is being unreasonable."

"And I'm sure with your temper you aren't."

"We had words-yes." she replied.

"Come into the library and get it off your chest." He moved towards the library and she followed. Once in and seated he said, "So tell me your side."

She explained about Kyra being upset, and how Lucius reacted to her. "It's not that I don't think he can't deal with things; it's just to this point he's never had to discipline her more that simply telling her her behavior was not acceptable. There were never any tears on her part. I'm just worried that maybe he slipped for a second and instead of being a father who was upset, became the angry Death Eater."

"You don't think he hurt her, do you?" Draco asked, clearly ready to defend Lucius.

"NO! No, not for a second, but I've seen how scary he can look when he's mad. The night at the Ministry; I saw it. To a four-year-old who has not even been any trouble for him, it could be extremely scary. I just wish I could have been there so I would know if Kyra is just trying to manipulate me out of whatever her punishment is, or if she's truly scared of him."

"What did she do, anyway?" Draco asked.

"I still don't even know."

"She went flying on Draco's broom." Lucius said. He was standing in the doorway. Ginny's face broke into a smile. "You think it's funny?"

"Yes, I mean Lucius, I was not much older than her when I used to sneak into the broom shed at home and go flying. And she's been on alot more brooms than I had at her age."

"Draco, would you mind leaving us alone?" Draco nodded and left. "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

"Me too." He came over and sat with her.

"I think that maybe I did react a little more than I should have, but she could have been badly hurt or worse."

"Lucius, she's been on brooms with some of the best fliers I know, Draco included. I'm sure she knows a lot more than I ever did, but it was wrong of her to do it. Lucius, she said she doesn't think you love her anymore and she wants to go to the Burrow."

"Why is it whenever I piss off females, they suddenly want your father?"

"Well, in Kyra's case, she knows what to expect when Dad's upset with her. She's now in uncharted territory. And for the record, so are you."

"Any ideas on what I should do?"

"Well, I don't think trying to make Dad look like a fool will work. Why don't you just try talking to her? But there is one other thing I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" he sounded annoyed.

"They, the fire investigators, finally decided what started the fire."

His face changed. "What was it?"

Ginny bit her lip. "It seems someone placed a charm on a candle in Kyra's room so it would not go out and then placed it in her clothing cupboard."

"Do you think Kyra did it?" he asked.

"I think it was her first display of magic, and a powerful spell at that. I think we have to deal with this very carefully. I mean, with what happened between you two earlier and now this, I don't want her to feel we're ganging up on her."

Lucius looked suddenly stressed. "A candle that could not be put out? Wow! But I'm not surprised; I knew she'd be powerful. Why would she not have come to you about it?"

"Maybe she was scared. She knows she's not allowed to do magic," Ginny stated.

"Let's give her a day or two to get over being upset with me, then we'll talk to her about the fire. In the meantime, we'll have to really watch her. I'll place some extra wards on her to let us know if she does any more magic. I need to go up and talk to her."

"Yes you do." She smiled and rose from her seat. "I never thought for a second that you hurt her."

"I heard almost all of your talk with Draco. Do you really think she is that good at manipulation?"

"I told you before I think she'll be in Slytherin. She stops at nothing to get her means and she does not want whatever punishment you believe is fit."

"I never told her about any kind of punishment. I simply was very upset with her, and I did yell."

"Did you maybe slip for even half a second?" Ginny asked carefully.

He looked quite guilty. "Perhaps, for half a second." He took his hands in hers. She winced, and he looked down at her wrist to see a bruise already forming. "I did that to you. I'm sorry."

"No, I think I did it when I pulled away from you. I'm fine. I know you would never hurt me intentionally." She smiled warmly at him. "I'll take care of it; you don't grow up in a house with six brothers and not know how to take care of a bruise or two."

Two days later, Ginny and Lucius were sitting in his study about to deal with Kyra about the fire. The four-year-old sat in a chair next to Ginny and across from Lucius. "Kyra, we need to ask you something and you must tell the truth."

Kyra did not like what was coming, but answered, "'Kay."

"Kyra, did you use magic and light a candle that would not go out back at your mother's house?" Lucius asked her. Ginny decided that Lucius would deal with this and she would just be there for support.

"It's not my fault! I just did not want him to come out of the shadows and take me again." She was crying now.

Lucius and Ginny looked at each other, knowing what she was talking about. "Kyra, we are your parents and if you're worried about something, you must come to us. If you don't, how can we help you?" Lucius explained.

"Daddy, do- do I have to go to Askbane for using magic?" she sobbed. Ginny could see Lucius' heart breaking.

He walked over to Kyra. "Princess, no! While you're not supposed to use magic, no one goes there for simply doing magic. You are a witch; it's expected that you will use magic. But until you're of age, you try not to. And if you do use magic, you have to let a grown-up know right away and not hide the evidence. Did you know the candle you charmed was the reason your house burned down?"

Her eyes grew big with worry and she muttered, "No."

Lucius looked at her. "Kyra, you need to tell your mother that you're sorry and promise us you will tell us when you use magic."

Kyra threw herself at Ginny and cried, "Mummy, I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Her sobs were growing harder with every second.

Ginny hugged her and gently patted her back. "Honey, I'm not mad; just disappointed you didn't come to me. Kyra, sweetheart, that man you're so worried about is in Azkaban. He can't get out and he won't be coming back to get you. I promise," she reassured her daughter.

"But he was so mad and mean. Daddy reminded me of him the other day when he yelled at me." Ginny looked at Lucius and could see how bad he felt.

"Kyra, the only reason I was so angry was because you could have gotten hurt."

"I thought you did not love me anymore," Kyra said, looking at her father.

Lucius smiled at her. "Kyra, there's nothing you could ever do that would make me not love you." Kyra threw herself at him.

"I love you, daddy."

After she left the room, Lucius and Ginny looked at each other. "If I did not know better, I would have said she had that planned," Lucius stated.

"It's kind of hard to be mad at her when she turns on the tears."

"It makes me wish she was a boy. Draco would tell fibs, but he never cried to get out of trouble."

"Well, I'm sure most of those were real. You see, if she's faking, she doesn't get all red and splotchy like she did," Ginny explained, then moved closer to Lucius. "You'll learn."

**A/N Should Kyra be punished more for starting the fire?**


	23. The Wedding Day

**A/N- It seems the majority of you feel that Kyra should not be punished for the fire. I personally agree with you, so she got off.**

Chapter twenty three

The wedding

"Mummy! Mummy!! Wake up!" came the all too excited voice of Kyra. It was not even light out and the child sounded like she had been awake for hours. "Mummy, you and Daddy are getting married today!"

Ginny looked at her clock; it was only five in the morning. The wedding was not till five in the evening. Ginny needed more sleep. "Merlin, Kyra, it's five in the morning. Mummy needs more sleep. Why don't you go wake your father?"

Kyra looked like she thought that was the best idea in the world. "'Kay, Mummy!" She jumped off of the bed and headed for Lucius' room.

Thankfully Ginny was able to fall back to sleep. She was woken up at about eight-thirty, this time by Molly, who had arrived early to do all the wedding day mother-daughter things. Her mother stood in the doorway with a breakfast tray in her hands. "Good morning, dear."

"Morning, Mum." Ginny smiled as she sat up and stretched. It just did not make sense for Ginny to go to the Burrow just to come back to the Manor to get ready.

"Did you sleep much last night?" Molly asked.

"Only because Severus gave me a sleeping potion to take last night."

"That was sweet of him. Are you nervous?" Molly asked as she looked at her only daughter.

Tears started forming in Ginny's eyes, and she whispered. "Scared would be a better way to put it." Molly set the tray on the bed and then sat across from Ginny.

"Tell me about it," she said.

"Oh, I'm not scared of Lucius, not for a second. I am scared that as I walk down the aisle I'll fall flat on my face, or something silly like that."

"That's perfectly normal; in fact it would even be normal if you were scared that you were making a mistake. I worried about that when I married your father," Molly smiled.

"Oh Mum, I never knew. But you and Dad so clearly love each other, I can't think of you with anyone but him."

"Oh honey, your father is the only man for me and I always knew that. Ginny, I need to tell you something, but please don't get upset. I would be saying this no matter who you were marrying; if you change your mind about this at any point, your whole family will be there for you."

"Mum, last night after Kyra was asleep, I began to think about things and you know what? I think everything in my life was leading up to me marrying him." Molly looked surprised. "No, let me finish. If Ron had not made friends with Harry, then Lucius never would have given me Tom's diary. And if he had not given it to me, I would have feared Tom so much more. I would not have been able to face him; I most likely would have remained just a scared little girl. And even if something had happened that Lucius still was forced to rape me, it would most likely have broken me. Then I would not have Kyra, and you all could have been killed going out for revenge. No, Lucius giving me that diary is what made me strong. It's what made me the person I am today. I am very happy with who I am and I would never change that. He's the only person for me."

Molly smiled once more at Ginny. "You need to eat. I know your stomach is doing flips, so it's only tea and toast." Molly moved the tray onto Ginny's lap. "Is there anything else about today you're worried about?"

"Well, Mum, I'm a little concerned about tonight." One look at Molly and Ginny knew her mother was unclear on her meaning. "I just want you to know, despite the fact that we have been living together, we haven't –well, you know."

Molly smiled a very motherly smile. "Thank you for telling me. Do you want to know anything? I remember my mother trying to have this conversation with me."

"No. If I need to talk to someone, I'll talk to Fleur. I just needed to let you know."

"Well, my girl, time's a wasting. Eat and then into the tub with you." With that, Ginny broke down into tears. Molly wrapped her arm around Ginny. "It's okay, honey."

"It's supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Why am I crying?"

"Because you realize that one part of your life is coming to an end. This is totally normal; don't worry, honey."

A couple of hours later, Ginny's hair was being done; she and Fleur sat side by side. "Are you nervous?"

"Only about tonight," Ginny admitted.

"You mean de two of you 'aven't?..." Ginny explained their decision. "Dat's so sweet, but if 'e was dat considerate, I'm sure dat you 'ave noting to worry about. Clearly, 'e loves you and I don't tink 'e would wait monts just to 'urt you in any way. 'E loves you!"

Patty, Ginny's house elf, then entered the room holding a note. "Master told Patty to give this to you, miss." She handed Ginny the note. Ginny took it and opened it:

_Good morning my love,_

_I'm counting the seconds until you are my wife. I wanted you to know that I remembered what you said about an outdoor wedding, so the terrace off the ballroom is being set up for our ceremony. I will be placing a warming spell on the area. I have already learned from you that little things like this mean more to you than anything else. I can't wait to see you! _

_Lucius_

At just before five, Molly, Arthur, Kyra, Fleur and Ginny headed down to the ballroom. Sully informed them that all the guests were seated. Arthur kissed Ginny on the cheek and said, "I have never seen you look so beautiful." He had tears in his eyes. Ginny wrapped her arms around her father.

"I love you, Daddy. Thank you for everything." Arthur let go of his daughter, then took his wife's arm and headed to their seats. The terrace had been cleared of snow, there were several rows of chairs set up, all with white covers on them, and an aisle went up the center that had a white runner leading to the front. Everyone entered from the ballroom doors around the corner. Along the sides were many floral arrangements made with red roses and white lilies. The music started and Lucius and Severus stepped out next to the altar. Both wore black velvet dress robes with white dress shirts. Lucius' hair hung loose. Then Kyra headed down the aisle. She wore a black floor length dress and her hair was piled up on top of her head in curls. As she went down the aisle, she dropped hundreds of rose petals. She was clearly enjoying the attention, which caused many of the adults to laugh. Then it was Fleur's turn. Her dress also was black, and strapless. It was an A-line that fell to the ground. She carried one red rose.

Ginny moved into place as the music changed; she carried no flowers. She stepped out, and as she made her way down the aisle, the setting sun caught the different shades of color in her hair, which had been styled in very loose waves down her back. Her dress was ivory with an iridescent gold shimmer to it. It resembled a sun dress in style, with a v-neckline and straps that were braided over her shoulders. They crossed in the back, where the dress dipped down to the small of her back. In the front, the sheath of the dress, which fell to her ankle, lay under three translucent layers of chiffon that parted just under the bustline. Each layer was about ten centimeters shorter than the layer under it, the longest of which just grazed the floor. As the gentle breeze played with the chiffon, it just completed the look. The setting sun was behind her. Ginny did not look like a bride; she looked like a goddess.

There was more than a collective 'Wow' from the guests. Lucius watched her move and was in complete awe. He knew she would be a beautiful bride, but he never thought that she would so perfectly blend true beauty and complete sexiness. Snape leaned towards him. "Lucius," he whispered, "I'm in love with her." Lucius gave him the coldest look possible. "But she loves you. Treasure her. I want her to be happy."

Lucius then stepped forward, meeting his young bride. "There are no words to say how perfect you look." He took her hand and they made the last few steps together.

The official stepped in front of them. "We gather here today to witness two souls officially joining together. As with any couple, this ceremony is only a way of making legal what the soul already knows. Ginevra and Lucius came together as souls long before ever talking to me. However, I feel this wedding, while not intended to be, is a huge step in getting past so much. There has been a lot said in the papers about Ginevra and Lucius. I personally feel that if these two souls, who no one would have ever seen coming together, can fall in love, then there is great hope for the world as a whole. Now, I must ask as it was done in ancient times; who gives this woman to be wed?"

"I do!" replied Kyra before anyone else could, which caused gentle laughter from all.

The official looked down at the four-year-old and smiled, "Of course you do. Ginevra, are you here of your own free will?"

"I am," Ginny replied

"Lucius, are you here of your own free will?"

"There's nowhere else I would rather be," Lucius said as he looked at Ginny.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, are you willing to join your soul to Lucius Abraxas Malfoy from this moment until the end of time?" the official asked.

Ginny looked at Lucius. "Yes." She felt like she could only get out one word at a time.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, are you willing to join your soul to Ginevra Molly Weasley from this moment until the end ot time?"

"Of course, how could I not?" he sounded almost offended.

"Ginevra, are you willing to give yourself only to Lucius?"

"Yes."

"Lucius, are you willing to give yourself only to Ginevra?"

"I am."

"Ginevra and Lucius wrote their own vows," the official said to the crowd. "Ginevra, turn and face Lucius. Once you take each other's hands, you may begin."

"Today, I stand before all my family and friends telling you in front of them how I feel about you. Lucius, this has been the most incredible thing in my life and I know I have found my perfect match. We share a temper and we both love our families more than anything. Today, you and I are joined forever and I make these promises to you: I will be there for you for everything, always at your side, for that is my place in this world, I promise to love and honor you, I promise to tell you when you're wrong, and I promise to help you along this road of life. I don't have a lot to give, but all I have I give freely and willingly. What's in my heart is all I can really give you. Undying love is all I have, and all the strength you'll need to make it through all our troubled times. And know that I'll be here for you when you need a friend. You've made my life a fairy tale."

Ginny could see the tears forming in his eyes as well as her own, which made her smile. "Wow, that's going to be hard to top," Lucius admitted. "Ginevra, I have been blessed to have you come into my life. I'm truly grateful for your forgiving nature. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how grateful I am. You've added love to a life that was so stale. I have been waiting my whole life for you, now my waiting is through. I promise to spend the rest of my life working to make and keep you happy. I would willingly die for you, because without you, life would not be worth living. Everything I do from this moment on is for you. I only hope I can make you as happy as you have made me."

Ginny had allowed a tear to escape. "Can I have the rings?" the official asked and Snape handed them over. "These rings remind all who see them of the promises you have made to each other in front of all of us today. Lucius, take Ginevra's ring. As you place it on her finger, remember the ancient magic that the placement of the ring evokes as you repeat after me; 'I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, call on all ancient magic to protect this union.'"

"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, call on the ancient magic to protect this union." Lucius slipped a diamond channel ring onto Ginny's left ring finger.

"Now Ginevra; 'I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, call on the ancient magic to protect this union.'"

"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, call upon the ancient magic to protect this union." Ginny slid a simple platinum band on Lucius' finger.

Two silver circles glowed around the couple for a few seconds. Once they faded, the official spoke again, "Ginevra and Lucius are now bound to each other. Lucius, you may now kiss your wife."

Lucius pulled Ginny into his arms and lowered his lips to hers. He could not help but enjoy the feel of her almost bare back under his hands. Once they parted, the official spoke again, "It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the first time: Mr. Lucius Malfoy and his wife Mrs. Ginevra Malfoy!"

Everyone clapped for the couple. Ginny turned to Fleur and hugged her. She was the first to congratulate Ginny, "I'm so very 'appy for you!"

Lucius then took Ginny's arm and led her into the ballroom. They were followed by Fleur and Severus. Once in the ballroom, Fleur hugged Lucius and gave him her congratulations. Severus looked at Ginny; she could see tears in his eyes as he spoke, "You look ravishing! Are you happy?"

"Yes."

"We'll talk later," he said as the guests started filing in.

They formed a receiving line, with Molly and Arthur the first to go through. Molly could only cry, but Ginny heard her father say to Lucius, "From one father to another, take care of my little girl." Ginny panicked for a second but then realized that was all her father was going to say.

"I will," Lucius responded as he looked towards Ginny and smiled at her.

Luna and Hermione, who were Harry's dates because Ron refused to come, were the next people Ginny remembered speaking with. "Oh Ginny, I have never seen anyone look so fantastic. I wish I had looked like that on my wedding day, instead of a wedding cake," Hermione said. Neither mentioned Ron's absence. Once pictures were taken, Lucius led Ginny onto the dance floor for the first dance. As they waltzed, Lucius could finally speak to Ginny without everyone hearing his every word. "Mrs. Malfoy, I have never seen anyone look as good as you do tonight."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. And thank you for the outdoor wedding."

"Don't call me that! It just reminds me you're younger than Draco," he said. As he pulled her closer to him, she laughed.

Later in the evening, Ginny was dancing with Bill when she looked over and saw Lucius dancing with Kyra. She had placed her feet on her father's shoes, and Ginny knew that only Kyra would ever get away with that. She also saw Draco and Hermione dancing, together! She made a point of filing that away in her mind. Later, when she was dancing with Draco, she commented, "I saw you dancing with Hermione."

He looked into the eyes of his stepmother. "That was to get under Ron's skin. You see, I know someone will tell him about it."

"How did you get her to agree?" Ginny asked.

"With the truth. I pointed out that if she danced with me, Ron would find out and to ensure it never happens again, he would make sure his wife never goes dateless again. It was a win win scenario."

Over the evening, Lucius made a point of pulling Ginny over to the side more than once to simply watch their guests. He told her that because a wedding had so much happening, the happy couple hardly remember anything unless they stop for a minute and make a memory. Just before midnight, Severus and Ginny finally had a moment to speak. "I've never seen anyone look as beautiful as you today," he said as he danced with her.

"With the exception of Lily Evans," she gently retorted.

He repositioned his body so she could see his eyes. "No, even she pales in comparison. Had I realized just how stunning you were, I would have insisted on marrying you a long time ago."

She was sure he was just complimenting her on her wedding day.

Later, once the guests had left, Lucius took Ginny down the hall on the main level of the house to a room next to the kitchen. "Here is my wedding gift to you." He opened the door and led her into the biggest, most complete, fully appointed, full size kitchen. It was the kitchen of Ginny's dreams.

"Oh, Lucius! This is amazing! Thank you so much! I never expected this."

"It's my way of saying that I intend to make sure you still want to cook for me many years from now."

A very tender smile spread over her face. "I love you because you really listen to what I say."

He pulled her close to him. "I love you, too." He then kissed her passionately. As they broke apart from the kiss, he picked her up bridal style and headed up the stairs. He only stopped to kiss her once more before he stepped over the threshold to their bedroom.

**A/N The next chapter will be my first attempt at erotica. I plan to write only about the wedding night, so if you don't want to read that, you can just skip that chapter. **

**I would love to hear your guesses for what song, besides From This Moment, I was listening to as I wrote the wedding vows. The first person to guess correctly will get to pick which story I post next.**


	24. Chapter 24 The Wedding Night

Adult scene to read this please send me a private message with you account info or an email address, and the name of the story you are reading and I will send the missing part to you


	25. Christmas

Chapter twenty five

Lucius was the first to wake the next morning. Ginny had spent the whole night sleeping with her head on his chest. He looked down at his wife and smiled to himself; she was now his in every way. He reviewed the night before in his mind. He was very pleased things went as well as they had, and he had to admit he was never as satisfied as he was last night when she lay beneath him moaning and screaming in pleasure. He wondered if part of that was because of who her father was, and he pondered just how much of an evil bastard that made him. Well, he always knew he had an evil side, but he also knew he loved her.

He slowly began caressing her arm that was draped over his stomach. Ginny began to stir. With her eyes still closed, she murmured, "Good morning."

"Good morning, my pet. How did you sleep?"

As she stretched, her body pressed against his. "Really good. How about you?"

"It's amazing how much better one sleeps once satisfied," he stated as he ran his hand down her back.

She propped herself up and looked into his face. "Lucius, you can tell me if I was complete rubbish. I won't be offended."

He locked his eyes with hers. "No, I would say you're a natural; you're feeling okay this morning?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine." He pulled her towards him, kissing her. She pulled back. "Really, I mean, it was over quicker than I would have guessed."

"Ginevra, you have three sisters-in-law and I'm sure they will all tell you that there is almost always something disappointing about sex on the wedding night. Think about it; the day was long and stressful and we were both tired, and to be quite honest I'm glad that it was quiet, only because the longer it lasted the greater the odds were that something would have gone wrong. But you seemed very into it and we both reached orgasm at the same time. That's something some couples never get to do. Most of the time it takes a long time to learn your partner's signs and just how to pace yourself to achieve that. Trust me; when I next make love to you, it will last a lot longer."

"Oh, I guess I never thought about that. But last night was great and it is something I will always cherish."

"Do you feel up to trying again?" he asked. She blushed, but nodded. "Good, Ginevra. There is no shame in enjoying sex. I want us to be very open with our wants and needs. I expect that if you want something, you will tell me." She lowered her lips to his, kissing him. Last night he took charge; this morning he guided her in taking charge. Once they finished, she collapsed beside him. "I'm definitely going to have to remember to place silencing charms on the bedroom. You're very vocal and loud," he teased. She blushed once more. "No, Ginevra, that's very good. Think about it; how am I going to know if you like what I'm doing if you don't tell me?" As he brought his hand up to her face, she saw his Dark Mark on his arm. She grabbed a hold of his wrist and looked at it.

She ran her finger lightly over it. "Does it still hurt?" she asked.

"Not since Potter killed him," Lucius replied.

"Oh. Lucius, I need to tell you something," she said, her voice sounding very small.

"What is it, my pet?" he asked with mild interest.

"I knew. I knew he had returned the night of the third task. In fact, I knew exactly where you all were called to."

He sat bolt upright and looked straight into her face. "What do you mean, you knew?"

"How did Death Eaters know where he was? They just knew, right? So did I. I knew every time he called all of you."

"Ginevra, have you ever told anyone this?"

"Yes, Severus and I talked about it at great length, even before Kyra was born. We can't say for sure but we think he may have unknowingly marked me in some way. Severus was sure Tom was not aware of it. We think the reason he did not know was because Harry destroyed that Horcrux before his return."

"Why did you not tell me this before?" he asked.

"Because you felt bad enough about that night and I wanted to get past our first time before I told you."

"Is my hurting you ever going to end?"

"I hope not, because if it does, it means you no longer care. Look, I only told you because you have a right to know. It never hurt me; it only bothered me because I was scared that maybe he still had possession of me. I promise it's fine. Look, I need a shower. I'm all sticky." She got off the bed.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.

"I guess not," she smiled. "But just let me use the loo first." He laughed, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she would not care if he was in the bathroom when she peed. He knew with some women, their views did not change until they were heavy with child and it became more about relief than anything else.

Later that night they Apparated over to the Burrow to pick up Kyra, then had a quiet Christmas Eve at the Manor. Lucius even read Kyra 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.' Ginny had to laugh at the idea of what his fellow Death Eaters would have said had they watched him the past couple of days. Kyra was so excited about Christmas, it seemed to take forever to get her into bed and to sleep. Ginny spent a couple of hours putting the finishing touches on things for Christmas morning. Lucius simply watched her fuss; he already knew better than to say a house elf could do it. She looked beautiful in this light; she was wearing a royal blue set of robes and was sitting on the floor fussing with the placement of presents under the tree. But as he watched her, he noticed that there was a bit of sadness about her tonight. She seemed to be putting off going to bed.

Once he was sure she was done, he moved across the room to help her up from the floor. When she stood beside him, he asked, "Ginevra, what is bothering you this evening?"

"It's nothing, really. It's just me being silly," she replied as she stood back looking at the tree, making sure it looked perfect.

"Tell me," Lucius encouraged.

She looked into his eyes and gave him a sad smile. "It's just that this will be the first Christmas that I won't do some things that have become customs. Things change and it just makes me a little sad."

"Tell me about your Christmas traditions."

"Well, it never seemed to matter, but us kids always had a snowball fight on Christmas afternoon. It did not matter if we were at school or home. And of course there was always the Weasley jumpers Mum makes for everyone. And then over the last few years, things have been slowly changing as the family expanded. But even after I bought the house, Kyra and I would spend the night at the Burrow."

"We could go over for dinner. Your mother invited us again this afternoon," he offered.

"What about Draco? I mean, I don't want him to have Christmas dinner alone."

"Ginevra, I'm completely sure your mother would have fed Voldemort had he shown up at her house. I do not think she would mind if Draco came along," he stated. He realized just how much he loved her; he was willing to have dinner in Arthur Weasley's home on Christmas Day with his son in tow just to make her happy.

She laughed. "I think you're right about Mum, but I still have a hard time seeing you there, never mind Draco."

"Then have everyone come over here. There's more room."

"Maybe. I'll Floo Mum in the morning. How does everything look?" She was looking back at the tree.

"There are more presents for Kyra than the rest of us put together," he drawled.

"That's because of you," she said, smiling. "Next year, I'm going to limit the number of gifts you can get her."

"Are you ready to go up?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's head up," she said as he placed her hand in the crook of his arm.

Once in their room, Ginny headed for the bathroom and came out changed into a long white satin nightgown. Lucius, who was naked, closed the gap between them in record time. "I don't think you're going to be needing that." The want was clear in his eyes.

"Well, perhaps not right this minute, but I'm sure that Kyra will be coming in here at some point tonight, if not in the early morning hours."

At seven in the morning, they knew that they could not keep Kyra in bed any longer. She had come to their room at about three in the morning, waking one of them each hour to ask if it was time to open presents. "Need a few minutes," Lucius said. "Kyra, we can't open any presents until Draco is awake. Why don't you go get him up?"

Without a word, Kyra jumped off of their bed and headed down the hall. If she had to get Draco up to open presents, then he would be up now!

"Lucius, was that such a good idea?" Ginny asked as she stretched in bed.

"It will be fine; besides, I have no idea how to explain to her the fact that I am very clearly aroused," he stated as he pulled Ginny close to him. She looked a little surprised. He started nibbling on her neck. He pulled away for a second. "Do you see the effect you had on me?"

"Well, technically, no. But I know what you're getting at." He began necking with her, his hands gliding along the satin nightgown that covered her. She was very responsive to his touch.

"Draco, are Daddy and Mummy shagging?" came Kyra's voice. She had left the door open when she went to get Draco. The two now stood in the doorway.

Lucius growled in anguish as he pulled away from Ginny, who was laughing. Lucius muttered, "Shit" just loud enough for Ginny to hear.

Draco looked as if he was completely enjoying the moment. He then picked up Kyra, answering her with, "Pretty much."

"Draco, could you give us a minute?" Lucius stated.

"Nope. Kyra wants to open presents, and if the two of you have a minute alone, I think she might have to wait until lunch."

Ginny slid out of bed and grabbed her robe; her cheeks still held a slight blush. "Lucius, we will head down to the dining room and get something to take to the parlour. We'll meet you in front of the parlour. Coffee for you?" she asked as she tied her robe around her. She was relieved to see Draco was in his pajama pants and old Slytherin practice t-shirt. She had fears of him and Lucius wanting everyone fully dressed on Christmas morning.

As the three headed down the stairs, Draco had put Kyra down. She was now running ahead of them.

"You seem happy," he said.

"For the most part, yes. How about you? This is your first Christmas without Narcissa."

He put on the hard facade she knew from school. "I'm fine," he stated.

She stopped and touched his arm. "Draco, please don't do that. There is more shame in not being honest about your feelings. And I hope you know, just like with your father, I would never betray you by belittling how you feel, or exposing the things you tell me to others."

"It's just hard. I see things that are the same but at the same time are different. You need change, but you hate it at the same time."

"How would you like the chance to throw some snowballs at some Weasleys this afternoon?" she said, giving him an evil smile.

"What?"

"Well, we always have a snowball fight on Christmas. Lucius suggested we have everyone over here for dinner tonight because I was feeling all sentimental last night. But if you don't want them here, I understand."

"I love the idea of a snowball fight. I remember seeing you all have them at Hogwarts." They had reached the dining room. The house elves had put out muffins, bagels, toast, fruit, coffee, tea, milk, and juice. She grabbed a muffin and a glass of orange juice for herself, and pumpkin juice and a banana for Kyra. She gave Kyra the banana to carry, and poured Lucius his coffee. Draco took Lucius' coffee for her as they headed for the parlour. Lucius was standing there holding Kyra, who had run ahead. The doors to the room opened and Kyra jumped out of Lucius' arms and ran towards the tree.

Once all the presents were unwrapped, Ginny sat on the sofa with her legs curled under her with a smile on her face. Lucius had spoiled both her and Kyra. The gift Kyra was most excited about was a broom that was designed for young children; it would only fly about five feet off the ground and had a cushioning charm built in so if the rider fell off, they would not get hurt. There were clothes and jewelry for Ginny, but the gift that meant the most to her was the least expensive that he gave her. Lucius had replaced Ginny's beloved Madonna CD. He took the time to talk to Bill to find out which one it was and then went into Muggle London and bought it for her. If that gift did not say 'I love you,' then Ginny did not know what did.

"Were you going to call your mother?" he asked.

"Yes, I guess I should." She smiled, getting up. She then stopped and looked at him. "Thank you."

"I just want you to be happy."

"Mum, I want all of you to come over to the Manor."

Molly looked a little upset. "Ginny, I told Lucius yesterday that you were invited over here today."

"I know, Mum, but I think it would be better over here. I mean, there's more space."

"Ginny, I don't know..."

She knew she had to appeal to Molly's inner nurturer. "Mum, it's Draco. You see, it's his first Christmas since his mother passed away, and I don't want to leave him alone. And I don't think he would come to the Burrow anyway. Please?"

Molly looked like she too felt bad. Ginny knew she had won. "I'll check and see if everyone else is okay with it. Okay?"

Everyone who was going to have dinner at the Burrow was fine with going to the Manor. Ron and Hermione were spending Christmas with her family this year. Harry was having dinner with Luna, Teddy, Luna's father Xenophilius and Andromeda. So it was Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, Vicky, Charlie, Percy, Audrey, George, Angelina, and baby Fred. Ginny also Floo'd Severus Snape at the school and had him come too.

The younger generations enjoyed their snowball fight while Lucius, Snape and Arthur discussed things that the Ministry was doing. There were a few tense moments, but seeing as how the people in the higher ranks of the Ministry were all fools, the three were able to agree on most things.

Later that night, Lucius and Ginny were in their room. Lucius was in bed reading as Ginny finished in the bathroom. When she came out, she was wearing a sapphire silk nightie that showed off her legs. She walked over to her dressing table and applied some hand cream. Lucius pretended to continue reading, but watched her the whole time. After finishing rubbing the cream into her hands, she went to pull her hair into a braid. "Don't do that. I prefer it loose."

"I thought you were reading." She looked at him in the mirror.

He rose from the bed and came towards her. "I was, until you came out of the bathroom. I enjoy watching you."

She turned to face him. "I want to thank you for today. It meant so very much to me."

"I can think of a couple of ways you could show you appreciation."

She ignored him. "You still have not told me where we're going for honeymoon."

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. And I want you to be surprised. Patty has done your packing, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Lucius, what if there are things I feel I need because of where we are?"

"Anything you may feel you need can be bought if it's not packed."

"I know, I just would feel better if I knew where we are going. But as long as we can be reached if something comes up, I guess it's okay. I'm just worried about Kyra. You have not even told me how long we'll be gone."

He smiled at her, "We have ten days to ourselves and then Kyra will join us for the rest of the time. Ten glorious, peaceful days where we don't have to worry about someone walking in on us, where we can do whatever we want, whenever we want." He pulled her into his arms and began kissing her.

She pulled away after a couple minutes. "I can't believe your appetite," she laughed.

"I told you; once we were married, you would never have to worry about how I feel about you." His voice was husky. "And it has been almost a whole day since I made love to you." He then proceeded to seduce his new wife, taking her three times in the night.


	26. Chapter 26 Return of the Pratt

Twenty six

Ginny, Lucius and Kyra had been home for almost two weeks now. Lucius had taken Ginny to a private tropical island for their honeymoon. Ginny loved every minute of their time alone but was very happy to have Kyra join them. This evening, Lucius was finishing a late business meeting, Kyra was already in bed and Ginny ended up in the library. Draco had joined her; he was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black dress pants, his normal work attire. As he walked in, Ginny could not help but notice that he looked tired. "Draco, what's up? You don't look so good."

He smiled weakly at her. "It's just been a long couple of days, that's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She indicated for him to sit down.

"Yesterday was the anniversary of Mother's death," he blurted out.

"I did not realize. I'm sorry," she replied.

"Why should you realize?" he asked the rhetorical question.

"She was your mother, and I know you loved her," Ginny offered.

"She was the reason I took this," he indicated to his Dark Mark, "because if I hadn't, He would have done something to her."

"For someone who was not capable of love, He sure knew how to use it against others."

"Yes, he did," Draco sneered.

"Draco, you know Harry told me how she risked everything just to get some word about you. I always felt that it is amazing how self-sacrificing we can be for those we love. So besides your mother, what else is bugging you?"

"Astoria. She's driving me nuts!"

"How so?" Ginny inquired.

"Everything! She even holds her quill the wrong way."

Ginny looked down, thinking for a minute. "Do you have a date for the Valentine's Day Fundraiser Ball?"

Draco wondered why Ginny changed the subject. "No," he answered.

"Maybe you should ask Astoria," Ginny offered.

"Why on God's green earth would I want to spend a whole evening with a woman who drives me crazy?" He got up and paced as he waited for an answer.

"Because you notice how she holds a quill," Ginny replied calmly, then took a sip of her white wine.

"What! You're crazy!" he barked, then stormed out of the room as Ginny laughed. Seconds later, Lucius appeared in the doorway.

"What was that about?" he asked, puzzled.

"What do you think of Astoria Greengrass?" she asked in return as he crossed the room towards her.

"Why?" he responded, then kissed his wife.

"Because I think she'll become the newest member of the family," she smiled.

"Why do you say that?"

"He focuses too much on the things she does," she explained.

"Draco could do worse," he shrugged, then continued.,"How was your day?"

"Fine. We received our invitation to Harry and Luna's wedding. Did you eat?"

He ignored her question. "Just what I was looking forward to; going to your old boyfriend's wedding," he sneered.

"Yes, well, life isn't always perfect. But think of it this way; you'll get to spend the evening with me in your arms," she said and smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"But that's so much better when you're naked." He then began nibbling on her neck.

"Well, as I said, life isn't perfect. Everything is all set for Kyra's birthday. Almost everyone is coming."

"Let me guess; Ron's still acting like the south end of a northbound Hippogriff?"

"Yes, but this time he forbid Hermione from coming."

"Would you like me to talk to him?"

Ginny looked at him, "Thank you, but no. I think this has been a long time coming. Really, I want to do it."

The next day, Ginny headed to Ron and Harry's office at the Ministry. When she entered their personal office, Harry gave her a warm smile. "Hello, Ginny." Ron rose to leave the office.

"Hello, Harry. Ron, you're not going anywhere." She blocked Ron from leaving. "Harry, would you mind giving us a couple of minutes alone?" she said through clenched teeth. Harry, who knew all too well the wrath of the Weasley women, hurried to the outer office thankful for the escape."Now dear big brother, I have a few things to say to you," she said, her voice was now deadly calm.

Ron picked up a report. "I have nothing to say to you. You're dead to me."

"That's fine, but I'm only going to say this once, and I highly recommend you listen." Her voice was still low and calm. "I don't care if you have no use for me or Lucius, but I draw the line at how you're treating Kyra. To go from spending all kinds of time with her to behaving like she no longer exists is unforgiveable."

He threw down the report he was holding. "Who the hell are you to talk about unforgiveable? You've become the whore to our family's worst enemy!"

"Think what you may about me, but if you don't stop trying to make up other people's minds for them, you will regret it!"

"Get the hell out of my office!" he yelled.

"Not until I make myself crystal clear. Ron, you are an arse, that was never a surprise to me, but if you're going to judge a child by the actions of the parents, remember that one day you will have children. And if people judge those children based on your actions, well, they would never know what it was to be loved by anyone other than you. I highly recommend that your wife be allowed to make up her own mind about coming to Kyra's birthday."

"And if not, what are you going to do?" He was now nose to nose with Ginny.

"Let's just say there are alot of books in the Malfoy Manor library about the Dark arts. Stuff I'm sure you've never even dreamed of. Oh, and if Kyra's at any of the family's places and you're around, I expect her to be treated like any other niece! Do I make myself clear?" She was glaring at him.

"YOU'RE QUITE THE BITCH!!" Ron yelled louder.

"Not yet, but push me and you'll see a new meaning to the word." She pulled the door open to leave.

"You better be careful or Children's Services might be calling on you!!" he bellowed.

Harry was right there before Ginny could react. He wrapped his arms around Ginny, holding her in place. "Roberts, don't let Ron out of there," Harry said to a man about Ginny's age in the outer office. He headed into the inner office as Harry pulled Ginny away from the door.. "Ginny, he's just saying that to get a rise out of you," Harry assured her. She was fighting against his hold as he tried to move her into another office. "Sally, get Lucius Malfoy here, now!" he ordered as he closed the office door. "Ginny, calm down," he said as he placed her in a chair.

"He threatened Kyra!" she exclaimed and tried jumping up. Harry cast a charm on the door so Ginny could not open it.

"He's not going to do anything."

Ten minutes later, Lucius arrived. Harry left Ginny in the office and led Lucius to an interrogation room. "Mr. Malfoy, I want to let you know what happened before there are any more scenes in this office," he explained. "As you know, Ginny came down to give Ron a piece of her mind over his recent behavior towards Kyra. I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I must admit, I would say she has learned quite a lot from you. She made herself very clear, without saying anything that could be used against her in a court of law. But just before she finished, Ron threatened her with Child Services making a visit. That's when she lost it. I stopped her before she could do anything, but she's really upset. I don't think she should be alone right now. As far as Ron goes, he will be facing a disciplinary board over his threat to abuse his position."

"Can I see my wife now?" Lucius asked. He could not believe how Ron could treat his own sister. But Lucius' main and only concern at this time was Ginny.

"Yes, of course. I've never seen her so upset." Harry led the way. As they reached the office Ginny was in, Harry explained, "This office is the only place in the Ministry that one can Apparate out of. I think it's best if you and Ginny do just that."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter."

"No problem. Ginny is all I'm really worried about." Harry turned away.

Lucius opened the door and his eyes fell on Ginny; she was sitting on the edge of the desk, looking very upset. She reached out for him as she slid off the desk. He pulled her into his embrace. "I heard from Potter that I should be very proud of you." He soothed her, holding her tight in his arms.

"Ron threatened to have Kyra taken away from us." She was not crying, but upset.

"Let's head to the Manor and we can talk about it there." he said quietly. She nodded. Once they arrived back at the Manor, they went into the parlour. "Ginevra, I've had to deal with things like this before, when Draco was a child, because of the things I had done in the past and there has never been any real threat. You're a fantastic mother; no one will ever take her from you."

"Realistically I know that, but I still cannot believe he could say something like that. I don't think I can ever forgive him."

"What he said once again is unforgiveable, but Ginevra I know what you're capable of forgiving," he sneered. "However, I would be most willing to hurt him very badly."

"You will do no such thing!" she countered. "I just would really love to string him up." They talked for a couple of hours, then Fleur arrived with both Kyra and Victorie from the Burrow.

"'Arry told us about what 'appened. 'Ow are you doing?" Fleur asked, looking shocked.

"I just can't believe he would say that, of all the things in the world that he could have said," Ginny replied.

"Well, you all 'ave your tempers but yes, dat was crossing de line. Ginny, I know you're a great mudder, and I've seen Lucius wit' Kyra and even Victorie. I would never 'esitate to leave my own child in eider of your care. In fact, I'm sure Bill won't mind my telling you dis to prove a point 'ere; Ginny, Bill and I are expecting our second child."

Ginny's face broke into a huge smile. "Oh, Fleur, I'm so happy for you!" Ginny and Fleur had been pregnant at the same time with Kyra and Victorie, respectively, and that was when they became close. The two women hugged. "When are you due?"

"Late summer. We 'ave not told anyone yet, but as I was saying, I want bot' you and Lucius to be dis baby's Godparents."

"Fleur, that could cause a huge upset in the family."

"Do I look worried? Besides, if anyting 'appened to Bill and I, I would want de two people who would be sharing the responsibility for raising my child to be married, to each udder. You're Bill's only sister, and my closest friend, and de only udders dat are married are George and Angelina, who still 'ave issues over Fred's loss in de final battle, and Ron and 'Ermione, and if 'e can turn 'is back on you, I would not want 'im caring for my baby," she concluded.

That night, Lucius was awakened by Ginny thrashing around in bed. Once he realized what woke him, he began to sit up. "Why?!" she said in her sleep, followed by, "Please don't, Tom!!" and then, "you were my friend!!"

"Ginevra, wake up. It's only a dream," Lucius said in a soothing voice.

"Please, I don't want to die!!" She was now crying in her sleep.

"Ginny, wake up." He touched her arm.

"Please!!" She was now sobbing in her sleep.

"Ginny, wake up! Come on, come back to me." Her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was the very concerned face of her husband. "Are you awake?" he softly asked.

She nodded, but began to cry again. "Thank you for waking me."

He wrapped his arms around her. "You were dreaming about what happened in the Chamber, right?"

"Yes. I can never wake myself from those dreams," she explained.

Lucius felt incredibly bad. "That's my fault. I'm so very sorry."

She began to pull away from him. "I need my Pensieve," she explained.

"Ginny-"

"Why are you calling me that? You did it once before, the night we went to the south wing."

"It's something you're comfortable with; everyone calls you that most of the time. I only mean to comfort you. I wish to help you with your dreams. I know you have just removed them in the past, but tonight, are you willing to try something else?"

"I don't know..."

"You trust me, right?" She nodded. "Here's my idea; first we get your mind off of the dream and onto something much more relaxing. After you're completely relaxed, I will hold you all night. If the dream begins again, I will try talking you through it. And if it doesn't work, then you can use the Pensieve. Okay?"

"I don't know what could relax me enough to make me not dream," she said.

"Trust me," he said in a very husky tone. He spent the next couple of hours making love to Ginny until she was too exhausted to dream and was very relaxed. Lucius watched her as she slept peacefully in his arms. He had said it many times; she amazed him continually. How could she not hate him for the things he had done in the past? But at the same time, he was greatful she did. He knew the encounter with Ron had been the reason for her to have the nightmare tonight. He was sure that as long as she felt safe that she did not have these dreams. He wondered, after Kyra's kidnapping how many nights she spent plagued with visions of his former master. That was one more way he had hurt her, and still she was here, happy to be with him. He had to admit he was very proud when Potter had told him of Ginny's words with Ron. He wondered if she was always like that, or if this was just him rubbing off on her. If it was, he was glad that she reacted the way she had, because in the end it meant that she would never lose herself completely in him. This was good, because he loved her for her, not for something he believed she could become.

As he continued to watch her sleep, he thought back to the first time her saw her. She had been full of fire even then. He had to laugh at how he would have reacted to the idea that if someone had told him that day that she would be his wife, and his salvation.


	27. A Year In Their Life Part I

Chapter twenty-seven

Kyra's birthday had come and gone. Lucius and Ginny now had a five year old. Ron had been suspended for two weeks for his behavior. Ron still refused to talk to Ginny, but his treatment of Kyra had improved, though clearly forced.

Lucius had to admit marrying Ginny had been one of the better things he had done. After the first war, Narcissa had been involved in different charities, but always from the sidelines; never in the forefront. Ginny had been asked to head up a couple of different charities. She was putting the Malfoy name in a good light for the first time in a long time.

Ginny had stopped at the office of Malfoy Holdings; she wanted to speak to Draco about something. As she reached his assistant's desk, she saw no assistant. Well, it was almost lunch, but maybe Draco was still in his office. She went to the door and knocked on it. After receiving no reply, she quickly penned a note to Draco and then went to leave in on his desk. When she opened the door however, she got quite the show! Draco was in the middle of having sex with someone, and they were so lost in their passion that they did not even notice the door open. After a second or two, Ginny simply closed the door again and walked away with a small smile; she was sure that Draco was shagging Astoria. She hoped they would be happy. As she continue down the hall she met her husband,."Ginevra, what are you doing here?" he greeted, then kissed her.

"I stopped by to speak to Draco, but it seems he left for lunch already. I guess I'll just speak to him tonight," she shrugged.

"Well, it looks like his bad judgement is my good fortune. I'm finished for the day." His voice became very low. "How would you like tojoin me in our bed chamber for the afternoon?"

She smiled, knowing just what was on his mind. "Kyra's going to spend the night at Bill and Fleur's..."

Hours later they were lying in each other's arms, both tired. They spent the rest of the evening in their room.

It was the next morning that Ginny finally ran into Draco. He was in the dining room having breakfast. Lucius had left early. "Good morning, Ginny."

She smiled an evil smile; she had been good for so long, it was now time to have some fun with him. "Draco, you seem less frustrated today."

He did not pick up on it. "I did not see you and Father last night."

"We were enjoying some alone time."

"I figured as much. Well, I have to be heading over to the office." He got up to leave.

Ginny waited until he was at the door. "Draco, the next time you place a Silencing Charm on a room, you might want to lock the door as well."

"What?"

"I stopped by the office yesterday, and I saw a side of you I really did not want to," she smirked.

"You-"

"Relax, and be careful. I don't know if this is just sex or something more. But if it's just sex, Draco, remember she is working for you."

He headed back to the table. "I'm not sure what it is."

"Well, maybe you should find out what she thinks it is. Draco, even us Gryffindors heard about 'Draco the Sex God.' Maybe she just wanted a go at the legend. Before you talk to her, maybe you should ask yourself what you want."

"I don't know what I want."

"Then maybe you should wait until she's finished with the internship before doing anything else."

"When did you and I become friends?" he asked.

"I think it started when you called me Weaslette in a non condescending manner."

"A woman as a friend. Hmm..." he said thoughtfully.

"With no thoughts of sleeping with her, either. Maybe a true friendship." She smiled at him.

"Who said I never thought about sleeping with you?" Draco asked.

Her mouth fell open for a second. She then closed it along with her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Sorry, but you could never compete with your father," she teased in reply. "Now, didn't you say you had to get to the office?"

A month later, Lucius watched Ginny reading a bedtime story to Kyra. He realized that in a few weeks the two would have been in his life for one year. He pondered what he should do about that. He had to mark the occasion in some way. As he thought about it, he also realized that Ginny had been in an odd mood all evening and he wondered what was on her mind. He decided he would ask her about it once Kyra was asleep.

Ginny finished Kyra's story, tucked her in, and slowly went across the hall to her and Lucius' suite. Lucius wasn't there; he must have headed downstairs. She drew herself a bath and slowly undressed, then slipped into the water, reviewing the day and going over her feelings trying to understand them. The next thing she heard was Lucius clear his throat. She opened her eyes, realizing she must have drifted off. "As much as I enjoy looking at you naked, I don't want to risk you drowning in the tub."

"Yes, and the water is much too cold now anyway." He held up a towel for her as she rose from the water, then wrapped it around her.

"Dry off and then come out. I would like to talk to you." He smiled.

"Thanks. I'll be out in a couple of minutes," she spoke in a simple tone.

When she came out of the bathroom, Lucius stood in front of the fireplace dressed only in pajama pants. He held a glass of Fire whiskey; he was staring into the fire. She came up to him from behind, wrapping her arms around him. She rested her head against his back. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He placed a hand on her hands and took a moment to enjoy the feeling. He then turned towards her. "Is everything okay? You seem to be not yourself this evening."

She reviewed in her mind the things that she thought of in the tub. "I guess I'm just- I don't know, really."

He looked at her with concern in his face. "Did something happen today?"

"Nothing that should have bothered me."

"What happened?" he encouraged.

"Bill and Fleur were both at the Burrow today. They felt the baby kick for the first time. It just made me think about the fact that my next pregnancy will be so different from when I had Kyra."

"And you're worried?"

"No," she sighed, "I just would like to start working on a baby now." She bit her lip and waited for his reaction.

He pulled her close to his body. "Are you sure? You said before you wanted to wait at least a year."

"I know, but I never really thought about the fact that I would have someone to help me. I mean everyone was very helpful when I was pregnant with Kyra, but not in the same way a husband is. Someone to get excited with me, to look forward to things like the first kick, someone to feel bad about the fact that I'm puking all the time or that my back hurts. I think you would, at least."

"Of course. I will be there for you for all those things, and I can't wait to see your body swollen with my child. But I'm willing to wait until your're ready."

"That's just it; I'm ready now. I don't want to wait any longer," she stated, smiling.

"Well, who am I to argue with you?" He brought his lips down on hers.

Ginny found out that she took after her mother and was pregnant shortly after. She decided to keep the fact to herself for a little bit over a week from when she realized it. She decided she would tell Lucius on the anniversary of him learning about Kyra. Lucius, too, had plans for that day. He took Ginny and Kyra to the south of France to a vineyard that he owned. They spent the whole day together, playing with Kyra without interruption. By the time Kyra was asleep, Ginny was ready to fall asleep as well. But the fact that she had to tell Lucius kept her awake. She looked forward to telling him; she could not wait to see the look on his face. He had put Kyra in her bed, then returned to the deck where Ginny was. She was sitting on the porch swing, watching the sun set. As he stepped out onto the deck, she looked over at him; he held two glasses of wine. Ginny realized she would have to tell him now. She smiled as he handed her her glass. She smelled it; it smelled good. "Lucius, I need to talk to you about something."

He sat next to her and took her hand in his. "What is it, Ginevra?" he asked as he looked out at the setting sun.

Ginny shifted to face him; she wanted to see the look on his face when she told him. As she shifted, he realized that this was important and turned towards her. "Lucius, do you have any big business plans for next February?"

"Nothing that comes to mind. Why?"

"I think you might need to keep it that way. Lucius, I need to know I can call you at a moment's notice then."

Lucius looked at her, understanding what she was getting at. He broke into a full smile. His eyes drifted from her eyes to her stomach, which was still flat. "You're expecting?!" She nodded, and he reached out and touched her stomach, looking from where his hand was to her eyes. "How long have you known?"

"Only a week, and it was very hard not telling you. I thought that it would be more memorable if I told you today."

He pulled her close to him. "You just made today perfect. Thank you." They stayed like that for awhile until he spoke again, "I want to be there every step of the way."

"Of course. Lucius, I was thinking that you should pick the name, seeing as how you had no say in Kyra's name."

"Thank you, but I want you to tell me if you hate the name I pick. You get the veto," he said.

"Fair enough," she replied.

"We should go in. I don't want you catching a cold."

"Yes, and I'm so tired! I have been for the last couple of weeks and will continue for several more," she explained as she stood up. "It was like this with Kyra, too. I'm still amazed I didn't fall asleep during the final battle."

Lucius looked at her, realizing for the first time that she had been pregnant during the battle. He knew before; he just never really thought about it. "You both could have been killed."

"Nearly were too, by Bellatrix. Luna, Hermione and I were fighting with her and she sent the Avada Kedavra at me. It missed me by an inch. Mum killed her shortly after."

He put his arm around her as they made their way to the bedroom. "For the record, you are not to be fighting in any battles this time."

She laughed. "And here I believed that when I got married that I would escape my overprotective family; instead, I just added to it."

"When do you want to tell everyone?" he asked. They were in their room at the vineyard. He started to undress.

"I want to wait until after Luna and Harry's wedding next week, to try and avoid a scene with Ron there."

Once they climbed into bed, Lucius pulled her close and once more placed a hand, protectively, on her stomach. "Have you seen a healer yet?"

"I have an appointment this Thursday," she said sleepily.

"Let me know when. I want to come with you."

They sat in the office waiting for the healer to tell them what they already knew. "Yes, Ginny, you are pregnant. I would say about six weeks along, so that would put your due date at January 31." Ginny looked over at Lucius. To the unknowing eye, he appeared cool and distant, but Ginny knew otherwise; he had become very protective of her. Each night his hand was protectively placed on her stomach. She did not mind if he seemed distant in public because she knew that for him this was really just one more way to protect her from those who might want to hurt her due to his acts of the past. Ginny even found comfort in that. "Ginny, because of the problems you had having Kyra, there's a chance we may have to repeat the removal, but other than that, everything seems fine. Come back in a month and we will see how you're doing," the healer stated.

As they left the office, Ginny looked up at Lucius and gave him a smile. "What are you thinking?"

He looked thoughtfully at her and answered, "I'm wondering what our son will look like."

"Son? I don't recall the healer saying anything about it being a boy," she teased as they walked down the street.

"There have been more boys born in both of our families for a long time and based on those odds, it most likely will be a boy."

"But maybe it's just time the the numbers start evening up."

"Honestly, as long as the baby is healthy, it does not matter," Lucius concluded.

The morning of Luna and Harry's wedding also brought the first bout of morning sickness for Ginny. As she knelt in front of the toilet, Lucius joined her, holding her hair back as she made her deposits. Once she was finished, he handed her a glass of water to rinse with. "Feel any better?" he asked as she stood up. "Maybe we should stay home," he offered.

"You're not getting out of going that easily," she said tauntingly.

"I can hope. Do you want something to eat?"

"Something light; just toast maybe." She smiled at him. "I'll make up for the fact that you have to go today later tonight," she offered.

Later that day at the wedding, when returning from the loo, Ginny ran into Andromeda "Mrs Tonks! How are you doing?" she greeted as she gave the older woman a hug.

"I'm good, and looking forward to having Teddy to myself for two weeks."

"You plan on spoiling him, don't you?" Ginny asked.

"Of course! That's what grandmothers are for. So Ginny, it's been a long time since we talked. How are you doing?"

"I'm good, happy."

"Well, you and Lucius make a very striking pair." She looked around the room. "Draco isn't here by any chance, is he?"

"Draco Malfoy at Harry Potter's wedding?" Ginny laughed. "No!"

"Oh. Yes, you're right."

"You were hoping to see him, weren't you."

Lucius was watching Ginny interact with the woman. Narcissa had pretended she didn't even exist. These two seemed to get along. In fact, they seemed quite close; he would have to ask her about it later.

Ginny made plans with Mrs .Tonks to have Teddy and Kyra play together over the following weekend. She could tell that like Draco, Andromeda was still mourning her sister. Maybe if she planned it right, they would meet.

One week later, Ginny had returned from dropping Kyra off at Andromeda's when she found herself feeling worse and worse. She then made several trips to the loo. On her fifth trip in under an hour, she sat on the floor feeling to weak to move. She cursed herself for having left her wand in the parlour. Finally there was a knock on the door, followed by, "Ginny, are you in there?" It was Draco.

"Draco?!"

The door opened as Draco took in the scene; he felt bad for her. She and Lucius had only told him because he would have realized it all on his own soon enough. And they did not want him to say something in front of Kyra, who they wanted to wait to tell because waiting that long was hard on a child her age. Ginny was sitting on the floor with her back resting against the wall, looking very sallow. "Are you okay?" She shook her head. "How many times have you been in here?" As he asked, a new round of dry heaves began. Once she finished, he asked, "Can you get up?"

"Too weak," she said dryly.

He stepped over her, then picked her up and carried her to her and Lucius' room. Lucius was in Japan for the day on business. He placed her carefully on the bed. "I'll take care of Kyra. Is she in the play room?"

"No."

"That's right, she had a play date. When were you supposed to pick her up?" he asked.

"Four."

He was really worried about how pale she looked. "I'll pick her up; where is she? Shell Cottage?"

"No, she's at Andromeda's."

His aunt's, though he had never met her. Well, no time like the present. "I'll get her. Should I call a healer? You look like shit." He wondered what kind of reception he would receive when he showed up on her doorstep. He knew she would know who he was because he looked just like his father did at his age.

She shook her head. "They just give me a potion I can't keep down long enough for it to do anything. I just want sleep."

"Alright, and Ginny, why didn't you just call Patty?"

"Could not yell loud enough. No wand." Her voice was still very weak.

"Where did you leave it?" he asked, exasperated.

"The parlour."

"I'll have Patty bring it up and get you some tea or something."

He left the room but he felt very funny about how she looked. But she did not want a healer. He did not like it and wondered how much of her not wanting a healer was just the female 'this is pregnancy' thing. After sending Patty up to her, he decided to call Snape. He knew they were close and if anyone knew of a potion that would start working instantly, he would.

After a nap, Ginny woke to find Severus sitting in a chair next to her bed. As she tried to jump from the bed to vomit again, Snape reached down and grabbed a bucket, then handed it to her. Then once her dry heaves stopped, he handed her water. "I brought this for you." He next handed her a vial. "Take this; it will start working right away." She took it from him, but looked doubtfully at it. "Draco Floo'd me because he was worried about you. How long has it been this bad?" he asked as she drank what he brought her.

"It's been normal until today. I don't know why," she explained.

"I want to stay until I see just how well it's working."

"Thanks. What would I do without you?" She smiled and he returned the smile in a rare move that only a few people ever saw.


	28. A Year In Their Life Part II

**Chapter 28**

**One year part II**

Severus Snape looked at her for a long moment. "That question goes both ways. So you get married and then I hardly ever hear from you. Your stepson informs me you're pregnant."

She looked down into her hands, feeling suddenly very bad. "I'm sorry. You've always been there for me and of late I've been horrible towards you."

He looked at her, pondering what to say. "You're married now; things change. In the past you needed me as a friend, a close friend, someone to be there for you in ways you did not want to ask your family for. Now for those things you have Lucius. Things change; I understand that, but Ginny, you will always have a very special place in my heart."

"Oh Severus, you --" she started crying.

"And this would be the hormones," he teased. "Ginny, it's really okay. I told you I understand, but no matter what happens in your life, I will always be here for you, and for Kyra. I think you need to eat something now."

"Severus, how can I ever thank you for the friend you've been to me?" she asked.

He thought for a moment, then answered the only way he could, "By being that same kind of friend in return, which you already are." He had Patty bring Ginny up some soup and crackers. As she ate, they continued to talk.

"Did Draco remember to pick up Kyra?" she asked.

"He was heading out to get her over an hour ago now. I've been here the whole time, but I have not heard her."

She gave a small smile. "I hope that's a good sign."

He watched as she hungrily ate. "Why do you say that?"

"Kyra was at a play date with Teddy at Andromeda's."

"Ginny," he said in a warning tone, "what are you playing at?"

"Nothing; it's just I've noticed that he's still hurting over the loss of his mother and, I think, maybe even feeling out of place with Kyra and I here. He was really scared about losing Lucius after Kyra's kidnapping. I ran into Andromeda at Harry's wedding and I think she too is feeling alone in the world. Teddy is all she has left for family. It could not hurt if they got to know eachother."

"Is it your plan to fix the world one soul at a time?" he asked.

"There are worse things I could do."

"Yes, there are. I see the potion is working. Why would you not let Draco call a healer?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Do you realize what a healer would say? ' It's all part of being pregnant.' I just did not want to be laughed at."

"Ginny, morning sickness does go with the territory of being pregnant, but you have done this before. I know you must have realized this was not normal."

She looked down into her hands. "I guess I thought I was just feeling sorry for myself. But yes, I know. You're right. Thank you for coming."

"I brought a week's supply of the potion for you; once I brew more I will bring it by."

"Severus, I need to thank you for being there for both me and Kyra. I know things have changed over this last year, but you will always mean so very much to us. I honestly don't think I would have made it through the last few years without you. I'll always love you."

He closed his eyes for a second, then replied, "I know." He rose to leave. He seemed a little sad to Ginny. "I need to be heading back now." He leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She squeezed his one hand and whispered, "Thanks again."

"What do we have here?" Lucius asked, standing in the doorway looking irritated.

Ginny gave him a warm smile. "Lucius, Severus brought me something for my stomach. I had the worst case of morning sickness today."

"He did, did he?" Lucius questioned.

"As I said, I need to be going," Severus said as he looked down at Ginny.

"I'll see you out," Lucius said coolly. He and Severus left the room. "I don't appreciate finding you alone in my bedroom with my wife," he said in a voice that was too calm.

"Lucius, it was completely innocent. Draco Floo'd me; he was worried about her. I needed to see that the potion I brought was working."

"Draco already informed me of that and that's the only reason you're still standing now." Severus knew from years of experience that Lucius' words were totally true.

"Lucius, I know I told you how I feel about her and I meant it. But she is happy with you. I would never do anything to take her happiness away. The only time you need to fear me is if she is no longer happy."

When Lucius returned to the bedroom, he was met by a very unhappy wife. "Lucius Malfoy, what the hell was that about?!"

He calmly looked at her. "I do not like finding my wife alone with a man in our bedroom, or any bedroom for that matter!"

"He is my best friend and he was your best man. I don't care who you are; I will not have you treat him like that! Especially when he came here only to ensure that I, and our unborn child, was okay."

Lucius had no intention of backing down."Ginevra-"

"Don't even say a word! You will take these," she flicked her wand and some night clothes came flying at him, "and you will not be sleeping in this bed or even this suite until you apologize for your behavior!"

"I will not have my wife treat me like a child!" he yelled, reminding Ginny of that night at the Ministry years before.

"Don't even try to test me Lucius; you won't win. We both know that I can do a lot more to you right now than you would ever try doing to me while I carry your child! Now get out!" She threw a pillow in his direction to emphasize her point.

Lucius may not have liked it, but she was right. He retreated, but it did not mean he would apologize to Snape. He had no intention of doing as his wife ordered. She may think she's in control but he was the one who controlled everything. Right? Then why was he spending the night in a guest room in his own manor?

Over the next couple of days, a frost came over Malfoy Manor. Ginny refused to speak to Lucius unless it was about Kyra, and Lucius refused to give in. Ginny was very thankful for the potion that Severus had given her. She was finding that her morning sickness would start mid afternoon each day and last one to three hours. She continued with the potion and began to count the days until her first trimester was over.

On Monday, she took Kyra over to the Burrow and sat down with Molly for tea. She and Lucius still had not told her family the good news. Ginny wanted to wait just a little longer. She told her mother that she and Lucius had a fight but did not go into detail about it. After tea, she headed for the Joke Shop, then to the bank with the weekend's deposit. As she headed out of the bank, she was being watched by both Bill and her husband.

Bill walked over to Lucius, "I don't figure you want to tell me why you did not even say 'Hi' to your wife?"

Lucius looked at Bill and raised an eyebrow. "At the moment she is not happy with me," he stated dryly.

"And she's not speaking to you?"

"Clearly," Lucius continued to watch Ginny as she left the bank.

"Lucius, I know you're not going to tell me what happened, but we both know that she will forgive anything if you're sorry." He paused. "I take it you're not sorry."

"I have every right to feel the way I feel." Lucius looked at the younger man. Of all of Ginny's family, he liked Bill; he was his own man.

"Yes, but I know just how long she can keep this up. Look, you can piss off any of us Weasley men and we can get over it, but there's a reason that the family has been happy with seven generations of just boys. Trust me when I say she has to believe you're sorry before she will forgive. I saw it with Ginny and I see it with Vicky. They get mad most of the time; that goes with the red hair, but when they really get upset, well, let's just say I think your former Master is more forgiving and more likely to forget."

"Well, she is dealing with me now and I'm not going to do as she wishes just because I want forgiveness."

"Then I would say you're in for a very cold summer this year. Try to have a good day, Lucius."

Out on the Alley, Ginny ran into Severus. "Severus, I just wanted to say I was really upset with how Lucius treated you the other day."

"Ginny, I understand why he behaved as he did," he replied.

She shook her head, "No, I know he's overly protective, and I only know what happened up in the bedroom; I can guess the rest of it. He had no right and I told him as much, and I have no intention of speaking to him about anything other than Kyra until he apologizes to you."

Snape openly laughed, "Ginny, that's about as likely to happen as you seeing me skip down this street wearing a pink tutu and singing 'I love Harry Potter!'"

Ginny was laughing now, "You're probably right. But I'm still not done being mad at him."

While Draco knew better than to get in the middle of whatever was the problem with Ginny and Lucius, he could not help being curious about it. He watched what was going on, trying to find some way to ask one of them about it without seeming like he was being nosy. He finally decided to try talking to Ginny about Astoria in the hope that things would work their way around to Ginny and Lucius. He met her in the library after dinner. "I did some thinking about Astoria over the last while and I think once she's done her internship, I'm going to start dating her."

"That's good; so she was understanding when you stopped things then?"

"We never really talked about it," he admitted.

"DRACO! You shagged her and then never even told her what was going on? I thought you had a brain!" He looked confused.

"What? She seems fine with things. In fact, I think it improved her work. I mean, she stopped questioning things."

"Of course she did! God, it's amazing that Malfoy Holdings is not facing a lawsuit for sexual harassment. I don't know her, but if I was in her place I would be confused. Either I was right and she just wanted a go with you, or she has feelings for you and if she does you screwed up big time because she's going to be really hurt. Draco, not all women are like Pansy Parkinson who want you so bad they're willing to take any crumb you throw at them."

"So what do I do now?"

"That all depends on what exactly you want. Are you wanting to date her for sex, or for something more?"

"I think I have feelings for her," he admitted.

"Then you're going to have to work your ass off. If I were you, I would start with saying you're sorry. Explain that you're a complete idiot when it comes to matters of the heart and then take things slowly, very slowly. On a different matter, I wanted to ask you about how things went when you picked up Kyra from Andromeda's."

"She seemed very – surprised to see me, but I explained about you being so sick. I stayed for tea also. She looks more like Aunt Bella, but in talking with her, I saw a lot of Mother in her mannerisms. She understood why Mother could never talk to her after she married her husband."

"I always liked her. It was very hard for her after the war. The only thing she had left was Teddy."

"Ginny, I would be willing to pick Kyra up from her place in the future."

"Good. I'm glad."

A couple of days later Ginny and Kyra returned home late from the Burrow and found Lucius and Severus in the parlour having a drink and talking about mundane things. She once more realized that men's feelings were very different from women's. She let Kyra greet her father while Severus came over and greeted Ginny. "I stopped by to bring you more of that potion. It's still working, right?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied.

"Lucius, Ginny, Kyra, I have to be heading back to the school now. I have rounds tonight."

Ginny smiled at him "Thanks again."

Later that night, Ginny met Lucius outside of Kyra's room. She gave him a warm smile. "Are you coming to bed soon?" she asked.

"You're allowing me back?" he asked, looking slightly shocked.

"I could tell that the air between you and Severus has been cleared."

He needed to let her know she did not win. "I never said sorry to him."

She raised an eyebrow. "I knew you never would, but things seem fine between the two of you, which is what matters to me." He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, leading her into their bedroom.

"How have you been feeling?" he inquired.

"Better, thanks to Severus." She smiled at him and grabbed a nightgown.

"I did not think you would be so stubborn," he said.

"Sometimes I don't understand you, Lucius. I mean, you knew that Severus and I have been close for a long time. I know I told you that we're only friends and that there was never anything more, so why would you react like that?" She stepped into the bathroom and closed the door to change.

As he removed his clothing, Lucius considered telling her about Snape's revelation but decided against it. She stepped out wearing a long black nightgown that was pretty revealing on top. "I think I would have reacted the same way if I found anyone in a bedroom alone with you, with the exception of your father or brothers. But I will say this; it does bother me that you were and are so close to him. I know there are still things Severus knows about you that I don't," he stated.

She moved toward the bed and began removing some of the extra pillows. "Lucius, I love you, and I have no reason to look for something else elsewhere."

He watched her stretch across the bed reaching for a pillow. "You may not, however Ginevra, you are a beautiful woman and just because you're not thinking about it does not mean men aren't."

"Lucius, do you really think I can't handle myself?" She looked at him. He did look yummy in his black silk boxers, his hair hanging loosely around his shoulders.

"Of course you can handle yourself! I just don't want you to have to."

She smiled at him. "I missed you."

He smiled back, smugly. "You did?" he asked.

"Of course! Do you think I like being upset with you?" she asked.

"No more than I enjoy having you upset with me."

"Neither one of us is going to say sorry, are we?"

"Are you?" he asked.

"No, and neither are you, right?" He moved towards her.

"At least we understand each other," he said as he pulled her into his arms, then brought his lips down on hers. As his tongue slowly ran along her lower lip, she moaned. His hand rubbed her breast, so she intensified the kiss. His hands slowly worked their way down to her ass, and as he cupped it, she lifted herself up and wrapped her legs around him. He turned them both towards the bed and as he lowered her on to the bed, he said, "I'm going to fuck you senseless."

"I hope so. I've been very horny the last couple of days," she laughed.

Ginny decided to tell her family about the new baby one at a time, instead of at a big get-together where everyone would be waiting for some kind of announcement. Fleur, who was now in her seventh month of her pregnancy, was most happy for Ginny, and Molly looked forward to having her fifth grandchild. The rest of the family took the news normally, with the exception of Hermione, who seemed sad. Ron's treatment of Ginny was causing problems between the two. And not just between them, but the whole family. Ron totally refused to even try to be glad Ginny found happiness.

This morning, Ginny was trying to get dressed; however, her clothing was not willing to accommodate her growing tummy. She sighed heavily in exasperation. "Ginevra, what's wrong?" Lucius asked.

"I don't remember showing this soon with Kyra. I can't even get the same thing on today that was fine yesterday," she complained.

Lucius looked at his wife; her tummy was now jutting out just enough to cause a smile to creep across his face. He caused her to look like this. "Ginevra, it pleases me immensely to see you carrying my child. You look beautiful."

"The only reason I'm upset is because I don't have anything to wear to the healer's today. I can't leave the house in a dressing gown!"

"We'll buy you more clothes today."

"Lucius, I'm not worried about getting new clothes. I'm worried about the fact that I can't leave the Manor because nothing fits!" she said, frustrated.

"Floo Shell Cottage. I'm sure that Fleur can lend you something until we shop today. I'll head over there to pick it up for you."

"Thanks, honey, because I was starting to think about your jammy pants and a t-shirt." Lucius grimaced at the idea of his wife being seen in public like that.

After he returned from Fleur's, they headed out for Ginny's appointment. At the healer's, Ginny declared, "I don't understand why clothing that fit yesterday could not even be done up today."

"Ginny, that's because your body knows what it's doing; it's more willing to make the changes this time."

That night, Ginny stood in front of a mirror in only her bra and panties, looking at her body. Lucius came up behind her and whispered in her ear, "I think you look very sexy." He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into him.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said.

"Ginevra, I want to thank you for allowing me to be part of this."

"What do you mean?" she said, turning to face him.

"Narcissa, once she began to show, moved out of our room and never returned. She seemed to be disgusted with her body and the changes that were happening to her. To be honest, when this baby kicks, it will be the first time I ever feel a child of mine move inside its mother. I most definitely want to be here every step of the way."

Ginny had tears in her eyes. "That's so sad; you never felt Draco kick. What else did you miss out on?"

"She was very uncomfortable with her body. I did not witness the birth and she even refused to feed him unless she was alone."

"Well, just try to get out of being there when this baby is born and see what happens," she said coyly, smiling happily.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after a few minutes. She moved away from him and removed her bra, then pulled on a nightgown.

"Well, if my body is so willing to change to be pregnant, maybe it will be equally willing to get back to my pre-baby body."

"I don't think it works like that," he said dryly.

**A/N Just for clarification, wizards don't seem to have the ability to alter clothing of any kind.**


	29. A Year Un Their Life Part III

**Chapter twenty nine**

When the time came to find out the sex of the baby, Ginny and Lucius decided to be surprised. Ginny had known that Kyra was going to be a girl because it made things easier if she knew, where money was concerned. That was no longer an issue, so she felt it would be nice to be surprised this time. Lucius indulged her. She continued to expand and it seemed the bigger she got, the more Lucius told her how beautiful she was. The hormones caused her sex drive to skyrocket and Lucius was more than happy to help her out with that.

The first time Lucius felt his child move was after having made love to Ginny; they were spooning and his hand was once more on her tummy. The baby booted his hand hard. "I know you had to feel that!"

Ginny exclaimed.

"That's amazing! Does it hurt?" His hand was kicked again. "Wow!"

"No, it doesn't, really. It's just weird, getting reminded that my body is not mine alone." The baby kicked again. "I think baby wants you to move your hand."

"I don't want to. I'm enjoying this feeling too much, and the baby needs to learn that we are the ones in charge here."

Ginny laughed, "Just keep telling yourself that, dear. In a few months, you'll be jumping when the baby says to and asking how high on the way up." He laughed, knowing she was right.

Ginny was walking down Diagon Alley one afternoon. She already had been to the joke shop and the bank when she stopped in at a cafe to have a coffee; no, really to use the loo. After ordering the coffee, she headed to the restroom. On the way out, her path was blocked by a man. "Mrs. Malfoy," he said as he reached out and ran a hand along her stomach. It caused Ginny to shudder in fear; she was paralyzed with fear as he continued, "Your husband really should be more careful about letting you out alone." She finally reached for her wand, which was gone. "Looking for this?" The man, whose face was hidden in the shadows, showed her he had her wand. "You won't be needing it," he stated and snapped it in two. "Now, you're going to come quietly with me, or I'll cast a spell that will cause your child's heart to literally burst."

Ginny could only nod. As they made their way out of the loo hallway, Ginny spotted Harry and relief washed over her. Harry stopped her and knew something was wrong. He took in the scene and reacted quickly. "Ginny, you have to come with me now." The man took off at lightning speed out of the cafe and once he reached the street, Disapparated. Ginny then fell apart.

She was checked over by her healer, and she and baby were fine. Lucius went crazy as there was no idea as to who the man was. And as a result of this, Lucius made it very clear that Ginny was not to go out alone unless directly to the home of family or Luna. And only if they knew she was coming, unless she was with someone of age. She understood that it was not that she could not do magic, or that her husband felt she could not defend herself. It was simply with the changes to her body, she was not able to move around as well as before, and the baby made her more vulnerable. Ginny's family even completely understood Lucius' reasoning, and her sisters in law, Fleur and Angelina, who stayed at home with their own children, were willing to go out with Ginny during the day. However, Lucius said that with Fleur still pregnant herself, she would be just as vulnerable as Ginny. All Ginny had to do was say she wanted to go somewhere and Lucius would rearrange his schedule. If this could not be done, then Draco would take her and if both were unavailable, Lucius would find someone to take her. However, the choices were limited to her family, Severus, or Potter. Lucius found that Potter having lingering feelings for Ginny could be manipulated for his own uses.

When Lucius and Ginny sat Kyra down to tell her about the baby, Kyra reacted well to the news. She once again took time to think about how it would affect her, then came back with questions from time to time. She was very excited to have her own baby on it's way. Ginny was surprised that Kyra never asked about Ginny's growing size. Ginny could tell that Kyra was thinking of the new baby as a doll, but Fleur explained that it was normal. Fleur herself had done the same thing as a child with Gabrielle.

Lucius and Ginny were relaxing in their sitting room one evening. He was rubbing her back as they talked. "We need to pick godparents for this one. But I would like to know why Severus is godfather to Kyra?"

"Why? Do you mind?"

""I have no problem with it; in fact, he is also Draco's godfather."

"Oh. I did not know that. Well, I had told you before, some of it was that I wanted her to have a close relationship with someone so she would know not all Death Eaters were bad. But also I saw and heard how Severus did everything in his power to protect Harry, even if it did not seem that way at times. If he could do that for the son of a man he hated, I felt he would be a good choice."

"You're forgetting that he loved Potter's mother."

"Still he, Harry, looks so much like his father it would have been hard to forget the fact. You know, I think Lily made a big mistake. Severus is clearly the bigger man. Somehow, from what I hear, I don't think James Potter could have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. Okay, so who were you thinking of for godparents?"

"I was thinking Draco and Fleur."

"Two of my closest friends...that will work. Lucius, I have one question for you. For a while now, I have noticed you have begun to care about what others think about us. What has changed?"

"My dear sweet wife," he began as he shook his head, "to be honest, I really don't care what the world thinks of us. For me it makes little difference. However, I do realize that we have children and because of my actions in the past, when it comes time for them to marry, Kyra and any other daughters we have may have a limited amount of pureblood choices. Other pureblood families would think long and hard about allowing their son to marry a daughter of Lucius Malfoy, including former Death Eaters and Voldemort supporters may have second thoughts."

"And what happens if one wants to marry a Muggle-born?"

"I pray that won't happen, but if it does, I will have to find a way to deal with it. I won't turn my back on any of our children."

"Well, that's a relief because I think this one wants to become a Muggle football player, the way it kicks." She rubbed her tummy absent-mindedly.

The room next to Ginny and Lucius was changed into a nursery, which Ginny decorated with beautiful antique furniture she found in the attic. Lucius was more than willing to buy new stuff, but Ginny had fallen in love with several pieces which included the bassinet that had been Lucius' when he was a baby, a rocking chair that Luicus' grandmother used to rock his father in, and a few other pieces. She did buy all new linens and gave the room an enchanted forest theme.

It was the very end of November and Lucius was staying late at the office when Ginny's water broke. She knew it was too early. Thankfully, Draco had been home and came running when she called for help. "Ginny, what's wrong?" he asked, then noticed the puddle of fluid at her feet. "Oh god! What do we do?"

"Floo the healer, then your father."

"Right," he said and headed to the fireplace. Ginny went to leave the room. "Where are you going?"

"I need to use the loo."

"Right."

Ginny asked Patty to get her bag. She returned to the parlour to find Lucius and Draco; they were talking in hushed voices, both looking angry. Lucius looked over at her and rushed to her side. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm a little scared. It's so early."

"We have bigger problems, Ginny. There was a massive werewolf attack up north. Every healer is at St. Mungo's and it's been closed to everyone else at this time."

Ginny's eyes grew big and she went white. Lucius wrapped his arm around her. She then almost doubled over in pain as a contraction hit her. She tried to breathe through it. Both Draco and Lucius watched, unsure of how to help. Once it passed. Ginny said, "Draco, Floo my mother. Explain things to her; she's done this six times. Angelina was studying to be a healer; maybe she's at home. I'm sure Fleur will help, too. Lucius, help me to our room. Draco, maybe take Kyra to Andromeda's, Teddy is staying there this week."

Lucius looked at her. "Are you sure?"

"What other options do we have? Would you prefer we go to a Muggle hospital?" Lucius shuddered in disgust, then led Ginny to their bedroom and helped her change into a large t-shirt. When he went to place her on the bed, she stopped him. "The sheets," she said with concern.

"We have more and we'll buy new ones." he assured her. Once he placed her on the bed, he asked. "Do you want anything?" There was a knock on the door and Molly poked her head in.

"Ginny dear, don't worry! All of you children were born at home. Angelina and Fleur are both on their way."

Hours later it had become clear that Ginny would need a second removal. Angelina looked at Molly, not having to say the words, then she looked at Ginny and Lucius. He was sitting behind Ginny as she used him as a backrest. "Lucius, I can't do this; I'm not strong enough."

"Ginevra, you're the strongest person I know. If anyone can do this, it's you!"

"Ginny, the baby is not going to come on its own, and if we don't get it out soon, you both could die," explained Angelina. "I'm going to try calling Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts; maybe she can help."

Ginny nodded and Angelina moved away to Floo Hogwarts. Lucius felt Ginny shudder. "Is it the pain?" he asked in a soft voice.

"No, I'm scared."

"Ginny, you've done this before," he said.

"That was at St.Mungo's, with a healer!"

"You're both going to be fine, Ginny. You're strong and brave. Did I ever tell you when I knew that I could love you?" She only shook her head, not wanting him to realize she was crying. "It was that night that you were brought here, once we returned to Voldemort."

Molly was standing off to the side and across the room, but she was watching and listening to what Lucius was saying and doing. At first, she was mad that he would bring up the night he raped her little girl, but she continued to watch and listen.

"After everything that you went through, you stood there baiting him, knowing that if he wanted to, he could kill you in a second. But you showed how brave you are. And then over the last eightteen months, I have watched you, and when others stood quivering around me, you did not even bat an eye. You're the bravest person I have ever known, and I love you for that. I remember after the final battle you coming over and asking about Severus, showing no fear of me once more. If anyone can do this, it's you."

"Madam Pomfrey has her hands full already, but Ginny, I have assisted on a removal before. I can do this," Angelina explained. There was a knock on the door and it was Snape. He arrived with blood replenishing and pain killing potions.

"I need a few minutes to perpare. Do you mind staying, Lucius, until we are ready to start?" Angelina asked.

"I'm not leaving," Lucius said, and no one questioned him. However, he had to move out from behind Ginny before they could begin.

Angelina pulled Lucius to the side. "You realize that the baby might not make it, right?" Lucius nodded. "Ginny is in no place to make any decisions. If something goes wrong, who should I focus my attention on?"

"Ginevra would want you to worry about the baby. However, if there is no hope for the baby, do what you have to to keep Ginevra alive. I'm not even worried about more children; just keep her alive."

Angelina nodded, hoping she would not fail them. Ten minutes later, Fleur was holding the new baby girl in her arms, with her breathing fairly good and all baby parts intact. Lucius was sitting next to Ginny, holding her hand. As much as Lucius wanted to meet his new daughter, he would not leave Ginny's side. She was awake and kept asking about the baby. Finally, Angelina said, "I just have to seal everything, She'll be fine. Lucius, go meet your daughter."

Before leaving Ginny's side, he kissed her on her forhead,."I'm very proud of you!" He gave her a big smile.

"Bring her over here," Ginny requested. He nodded, and as he made his way over to the bathroom where Fleur was cleaning up the baby, he caught his first glimpse of red hair. The baby's eyes were still puffy, but Fleur was being so gentle with the baby, it was not crying anymore. Lucius stepped closer to Fleur to better view his daughter.

As Fleur continued, sponging she said, "I'm so 'appy for you boat', she seems so perfect, but small."

Fleur grabbed a diaper, placing it on the baby. Then she wrapped her in a couple of blankets to keep her warm. As she lifted the baby, she gave Lucius a smile, then handed him his daughter. Lucius looked down at the baby; he had never seen any living human that was so tiny. And his daughter was beautiful. Fleur was saying something, but Lucius did not hear her. He only knew that in this moment, love at first sight was possible.

Fleur gently touched his arm. "Take 'er so Ginny can see 'er."

Lucius realized his error, "Yes, of course." He then moved back into the bedroom towards Ginny. He smiled down at his wife as he took a seat. "Are you ready to meet your daughter?" He gently placed the baby on Ginny's chest.

"She's so small!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Yes she is, but she is beautiful, just like her mother," said Lucius.

"Hello, little one! You gave Mummy quite the scare." The baby and Ginny began to cry.

Ginny tried to soothe her. "Ginny, you need to let her get up to a good full cry," Angelina said. "It will help her lungs. I'm finished here. Of course, a real healer will have to check you over later. The baby too, I'm sure. But I'm not going to leave until you have been checked out."

Fleur came over. "I need to go feed my liddle Dominique," she explained. Bill had come with Fleur and was caring for his own two month old while Victorie was at George's with little Fred. "De udders will want to know, should I just tell dem dat you're boat' fine?"

"You can tell them that it's a girl," Lucius stated. Fleur nodded, then left. The baby was now in a full cry.

"Ginny, try nursing her now," Angelina said. Lucius took the baby while Ginny moved into a sitting position, with help from Angelina. Molly, who had been assisting in the removal, came over while Lucius held the baby as if she might break with one wrong move. "Oh Ginny, she's smaller than the twins were, and she's so beautiful!"

Lucius handed the crying baby back to Ginny. As she brought the baby to her breast, the small infant latched on, instantly knowing what to do. "Hungry, aren't you?" Ginny asked. Lucius simply watched in amazement. "Lucius, did you ever decide on a name?"

Lucius looked down at his newborn. "She's a fighter. What do you think of Athena, after the goddess of wisdom and warfare? Because she is also a child from two different sides."

"Athena? I like it! What about a middle name?"

Lucius smirked, "Angel?"

"Athena Angel Malfoy. Hello, Athena Angel Malfoy." Ginny clearly got what Lucius was thinking. If it weren't for Angelina, she and the baby could have died; it seemed a fitting thanks.

Angelina did not allow anyone else in to see the baby until St Mungo's finally realized who Ginny was and sent a healer over to check on them and give them the all clear. Arthur, Draco, and Kyra were the first to enter the room to see the newest member of the family. Draco had brought Kyra back once the healer arrived. She was very excited to have a little sister. When she was allowed to hold her sister, she started telling the baby about all the toys they had. After a couple of hours visiting, everyone had left, and Kyra was in bed. Draco had appointed himself to take charge of Kyra for the next couple of days to give Ginny and Lucius time to adjust to a baby schedule. Once alone, Ginny was holding the baby and feeling very tired. Lucius watched her, concerned. "Let me take her. You need some sleep."

"I don't want to be away from her; she's so little."

"Fine." He placed a charm on the bed so Ginny could not roll over on the baby or off the bed. "Lay down and get some sleep."

"Aren't you coming to bed?" she asked hopefully.

"Do you want me there?" he asked back and she nodded. He thought she might want some space after everything, but she wanted him close, which made him happy. He changed and then climbed into bed next to Ginny, who was still very sore. She had placed the baby on the bed with its head resting in the bend of her arm. She was on her side and Lucius lay on his side very close to her. He propped his head on his hand, looking down lovingly at both of them.

Over the night, when the baby woke to feed, Lucius took her and changed her diaper, with instruction from his wife. He did not want Ginny to have to get up for anything, for fear she might hurt herself.

Lucius started working for the most part from the Manor while Ginny stayed pretty close to home. She had to worry about Athena getting sick because it was more dangerous for preemies. But she did make a couple of trips between feedings to Diagon Alley for Christmas gifts. A week before Christmas, Ginny was in the nursery feeding Athena and Lucius was putting Kyra to bed. Draco knocked on the door. "Come in." Ginny assumed it was Lucius; he had been very respectful of her privacy. She guessed it was because of how Narcissa had been with Draco. She could tell he enjoyed watching her feed Athena, so she didn't even look up as the door opened.

"I enjoy looking at breasts as much as the next man..." Ginny looked up in surprise. She did not have an extra blanket to cover herself.

As she turned red with a blush, she urged, "Grab me a blanket!"

Draco did as he was told, but as he handed it to her he kept his eyes on Ginny's eyes. Once she covered herself, he finally asked,."I was wondering: is anything going on here on Christmas Eve?"

"No, just a quiet dinner. Why?"

"I was wondering if you would mind if I invited Astoria for dinner?"

"Is she coming for approval?" Ginny asked.

Draco stared at her, "Father already knows her and he does not have any problems with her. I just need my closest friends to like her."

Ginny blushed again. "Thanks. Of course she can come, unless she's ill."

"I would never endanger Athena's health" he promised. Ginny had become the perfect female friend for him; a woman who spent enough time disliking him to be willing to put him in his place, a woman who he had no chance of shagging, and she not being his friend because of something she wanted from him. He enjoyed having a true friend.

Christmas Eve dinner went very pleasantly. Ginny liked Astoria, even though the girl seemed a little shy. However, Christmas morning was the more interesting part of the holiday. Once everyone was asembled in the living room and were opening presents, Kyra brought one over to Lucius. "Daddy, Grandma had told me to give this to you." She handed him a package that Ginny thought for a second she knew what it was, then realized it was for Lucius. She watched with curiosity as he opened the package, revealing a black Weasley jumper with a green 'L' on it.

Lucius looked at his wife with an expression that could only be confusion. "Oh Lucius." Ginny, who was feeding Athena, smiled, then continued, "Relax. I'm sure she knows that you would never wear it. It's symbolic; she accepts you as part of the family."

"Now my life is complete," he sneered sarcastically.

"Daddy, you're so funny!" Kyra laughed.

A couple of days later, Ginny came upon Draco in the library. One look at him and she knew something was wrong. She walked up to him. "Draco, what's up?"

He gave her half a smile, "I asked Astoria to marry me last night. She said no."

"Oh, Draco! I'm sorry! What happened?"

"I told her I felt that if we were to wed, it would be beneficial to both our families and any children we had would benefit from the fact that we are both pureblood. I pointed out all the benefits of our union, but she slapped me across the face and told me to leave."

Ginny shook her head. "You really are a complete idiot! I would have been really worried if she had said yes to that. God, Draco, I don't care who she is; every woman spends a great deal of time thinking about how she will be proposed to. From what I just heard, you made it sound like a business deal."

"Well, how did Father ask you?"

"Draco, when you have a child, things are so very different. Your father's proposal was, well, like everything he does; his way or no way. You screwed up big time! This calls for something really big. You have to make her feel like she's the only woman in the world. You need to put a lot of thought in to it. Start with her favorite things, or something she said she always wanted to do but never has."

That spring, Lucius and Ginny attended Draco's wedding. Andromeda and Teddy were also sitting with the groom's family.

**A/N This is the second last chapter of this story But I have posted the first chapter of my second story. It's called Mistress, and it's another Ginny/Lucius story. Please read it!!**


	30. The End

**Chapter thirty**

**The End**

Three years later, in August, Ginny had her third child, a son. They named him Leonardo Marcus Malfoy. He was the only child Ginny had that came naturally. He had more hair than both of his sisters put together, but his hair was blond and when he was first handed to Ginny, she knew he would be a Gryffindor. His hair was standing up like a mane. Ginny had said to Lucius that between the hair and his squished face from birth, he looked like a lion. That was how they found his name.

Two years later, it was the morning of September first, and Ginny had not slept much the night before. In three hours, she and Lucius would be putting Kyra on the Hogwarts Express for her first year. Ginny had become more and more worried about how Kyra's first year would go. The night before, she had her first dream in years of being in the Chamber of Secerts with Tom again. Lucius helped her once more by taking her mind off the nightmare.

Lucius watched as Kyra came into the dining room; he realized that with her hair styled like it was, she looked very much like Ginny had the first time he saw her. He could tell she was sad this morning and he understood why. The four and a half years Ginny and Kyra spent alone had made them very close. He knew Ginny loved all of their children, but the bond between her and Kyra was very special. He was going to ask Ginny to take on something extra later today.

They left five year old Athena and two year old Leo at the Burrow before heading to King's Crossing. As the train pulled away, Ginny showed she never mastered the Malfoy ability to hide her feelings and was lightly crying. Lucius took her hand and began to speak as they left the platform, "Severus will keep her safe; after all, he would never want to risk your wrath if anything happened to her. I want to ask you, now that you will have a little extra time on your hands, if you wanted to take on a chore?"

"What kind of chore?" she asked.

"Well, the accountant that deals with the personal end of the family affairs is going to retire. I know that while you love your time with the children, you need something more to do. I thought that you might be interested in handling things."

"I'd like that."

The next morning, Kyra's owl arrived:

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Made it to Hogwarts safely. And Dad, you will be happy to hear that you can still say no Malfoy has ever been placed anywhere but Slytherin. I like my dorm mates, but they are not Vicky and Teddy! However, Headmistress MacGonagall says that there is a common room where family menbers that are in different houses can spend time together. By the way, Vicky was put in Gryffindor. Lots of love to both of you and Athena and Leo. Mum, can you ask Uncle George for extra supplies? And tell Athena I will be sending her the toilet seat I ptomised in time for her birthday! _

_Love, Kyra Malfoy._

Lucius looked at Ginny. "A toilet seat?"

Ginny started laughing and crying at the same time. "George promised to send me one the last year before I went to Hogwarts. He must have told Kyra about it."

Some time later, Ginny had found a few things that made her wonder. Over the time she and Lucius had been together, he had taken her to see all of the properties he owned. But now she was looking at a tax bill for an estate she had never heard of before. That night, she asked Lucius about it. "That? Well, officially, it does belong to me. It was Narcissa's family home. Technically, it should be Draco's, but he has no use for it."

"Why? It doesn't make sense."

"He never really cared for it; you would have to ask him for his reasons."

Ginny did go to Draco about it. He simply did not want it. He said that Narcissa said it held bad memories for her and he left it at that. This all really bothered Ginny; it did not make sense to have a huge place to have to pay taxes on, but never use it. She asked Draco if he would mind if she went to see it. Ginny asked Andromeda to come with her. The place was almost as big as Malfoy Manor, with grounds that went on forever. Andromeda had no use for the place either. She told Ginny about her father's reaction to the fact that she wanted to marry a Muggle-born and her being disowned. But she did agree with Ginny that it was a shame to allow the place to sit empty. Ginny spent a few weeks thinking about the estate before her idea came to her.

She asked for Lucius, Draco and Andromeda to meet with her. Once they all were gathered together, she presented her idea. "Draco, Andromeda, I would like both of you to consent to use the Black Estate to try to ensure an evil like Voldemort never happens again. Lucius, for you, this would be a great tax shelter. Here's where I got my inspiration from; Tom Riddle grew up in a Muggle orphan asylum with people who could never understand him. He was mostly around children too, until he would learn to control his powers, while the older ones most likely made fun of him and were cruel to him. When I think about it, it's little wonder he turned out the way he did. Anyway, look at Harry Potter by comparison; he too grew up with no love. But he did have one person around, even if it was fleetingly, that understood him and his abilities, even if she was a Squib." She paused, but no one spoke. "I want to take the Black Estate and use it to open a home, not an asylum, for orphans. A place where they will get love and an understanding of them, somewhere that they are safe."

"What are you thinking exactly, my dear?" Lucius asked.

"Well, you know how Hogwarts knows where there are children that have the power? What if we used that to find younger children? If they are orphaned, we take them in there, raising them with love and caring, making the home a real family for them. If they are Muggle-born, we will offer their family education so they have understanding at home, a place where Muggle parents can come to for help with the things they don't have the ability to deal with on their own." She chose her words very carefully. "Lucius, this, along with being a tax break, will also help show that the Malfoy name is something to be respected and admired as well. We could also take in Squibs; they need understanding too."

Lucius did not agree right away, but did agree. Lucius never changed his beliefs; however, he did realize that things were not going to change to suit his personal pure blood supremacist beliefs and if he was going to have to endure Muggle-borns, perhaps this would make dealing with them slightly easier. And anything that could help increase the odds that his children would marry pure bloods themselves was a bonus. If this was what it would take to put the Malfoy name in a better light, he guessed he owed his children that much. In reality, it was a small price to pay for his own actions in the past. That summer, the Malfoy Home for Magical Orphans opened. Ginny ran it, choosing the staff and working closely with them. She took care of all the fundraising also, which for her was not that hard. The great majority of the magical community backed the home.

As Ginny sipped her coffee, Kyra's owl arrived in the room in front of Lucius. After giving him the letter, it took off. Lucius opened the letter and read it out loud: "Dear Daddy, I can't wait to see both you and Mum today, but I'm writing to let you know;Daddy, I love you so much, but if you don't mind, I'm only going to kiss you on the cheek today. Please don't be upset. Love, Kyra." He looked at Ginny, "What did I ever do to deserve her?" he asked.

Ginny looked at her husband and smiled, "You allowed a Weasley to see the real you."

Later that day, they both stood on Platform 9 and ¾ . Athena had already greeted them. In the distance, they could see Kyra with her friends saying good-bye. Lucius commented that she was no longer a little girl but still not quite a woman. She reminded him of how Ginny looked the night Kyra was conceived. "She looks so much like you, more and more each day." Lucius then saw his daughter kiss a boy in a very much more than friendly manner. "Who is he ?" Lucius knew Ginny would know.

"Lucius, his name is Paul, and he is a Muggle-born," she explained, then placed her hand on his wand hand. "If you want him gone, become his best friend."

"Why would I do that?" he sneered.

"Because I married my family's second biggest enemy," she sneered back, causing him to smirk.

Four years later, Ginny woke one day to her husband gently rubbing her shoulder. As she rolled over and looked at him, he gave her a small smile. "She'll change her name today. She's going to make a promise and I'm going to give her away."

"I know; I have to get started." Lucius placed his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"Wait," he urged and reached over to his night table and grabbed something. As he turned back to her, he began; "The last time I gave you this, Kyra was stolen from us. You gave it back, and today Kyra leaves us with little reservation on our part and I know you will keep this." He handed her a box she had not seen in fifteen years. "Wear them today." She smiled at him and nodded.

Hours later, Ginny was dressed in a golden yellow gown, with the silver and emerald necklace and earring set Lucius returned to her. She was the perfect blend of Gryffindor, red hair and golden dress, and Slytherin, her jewelry. She was placing little white flowers in Kyra's hair. Lucius was leaning against the wall. Kyra looked beautiful in her wedding gown. It was off the shoulder with a full skirt. She reached out to Lucius. "Daddy, what are you thinking?"

He took her hand, stepping closer before replying, "I'm not sure; I just feel like I'm losing you." Kyra leaned over and gave him butterfly kisses.

Later, as they stood about to go down the aisle, Kyra looked at her father, "Walk down the aisle; it's almost time! Does my wedding gown look perfect?"

"You look perfect," he replied, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Daddy, don't cry! Because if you do, I'll start too, and it will ruin my makeup!" The doors opened and he walked his daughter down the aisle, to one Alexander Krum -thank god a pure blood! Lucius then took his seat next to Ginny. He took her hand and squeezed it in both of his before looking at her. As he did, she reached up and wiped a tear from his cheek. Only one person noticed this; Arthur Weasley. It was at that moment that Lucius showed the vulnerability that made Arthur finally accept that Lucius really did love Ginny!

That evening, Ginny stood watching Lucius and Kyra dance, Severus at her side. "How are you doing today?" he asked.

"She's a grown woman now. It hurts a little." She looked at him. "You must be feeling the same; you are like a second father to her. What do you think of Alex?"

"I know she could do far worse. He's a good man."

"Severus, I need to thank you for always being there for us," she looked at him and smiled.

"There's nowhere else I would rather be." Severus never told Ginny how he felt about her. Over the years, instead of fading, his feelings steadily grew for her. They say if love is starved, it dies. Ginny unknowingly had fed it continually.

Later, during the dance, Ginny was in Lucius' arms watching son Leo, the only Gryffindor to never have points taken by Professor Snape. Not even Lily Ginny Potter, Harry and Luna's daughter, could say that! Leo was with his nephew Scorpius. They were born days apart and were talking to the Potter children and Arthur Weasley the Second, Hermione and Charlie's oldest. Ron never did grow up and Hermione left him and ended up marrying his brother. This was the second family wedding Ron did not attend. Athena had really lived up to her name; she was wise beyond her years, but everyone knew better than to make her mad!! Ginny commented to Lucius, "Isn't Kyra the most beautiful bride?"

"No, only the second. The most beautiful is right here in my arms."

**A/N So ends this wonderful journey. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to review even once. _Dracoginnylover24, Sympathetic me, Bettina w, heidi191976, Sephora 85, Oxymoron8,_**

_**x-scarlett-x, dd2,mellicent, diagonalleyparis, slytherin luver, V, draco.forever.love.mine, sassysissie, rosiebuds, lonelygirl101, sharon, danielle, savannahsayfxck, lone wolf 16, Angelique Collins, Sarah k, Euphoria123, youngMistressMalfoy, midnightLily, clio, Horsegirl, harrypotterchick4ever, ElleGray, DunoLacuna, Oderintdummentuant,and Fanzzquill. **_**You are all the best and I hope I did not miss anyone. **

**A couple of last things; most of this story was inspired by the song Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle, but I started writing it because of Sephora 85's story, 'Weddings and Other Misfortunes.' I began to think about the wedding dress I would have liked to see Ginny in and the story grew from there!!**

**The song that I was listening to while writing the wedding vows was the song me and my husband ( who is the most wonderful man in the world, and a not bad beta! Thanks for your understanding and love!) used for our first dance at our wedding... 'Dream Come True' by Frozen Ghost. You can find a video for it on YouTube. Oh, one more thing; I still don't own the world of Harry Potter, it owns me!!**

Please review!


	31. NOTE

Attention reader thank you all so very much for your support! You are all amazing.

I wanted to let everyone know I got my own web site, (still working on learning to do things on it) so please be understanding if things are not prefect. I have posted all of A Death Eaters Lament, on it. I will be posting the other stories. All of them there over the next few weeks. Anything here on fanfiction will remain, and I will also post here, but my stories will first, NOW, be posted at

.com

that's :

eveil woman. weebly. com

Link will also be posted here on my profile page!


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